Treading in the Mist
by Anarya of Lorien
Summary: I was a normal Topology student as normal as one got in topology and led a mundane existence. But all that changed when I defied all physics laws at one go and met him. Life was never this complicated!  UPDATED! Chapter 25 up!
1. The Landing

**Treading in the Mist…**

Disclaimer: Nope! I don't own it folks! If I did, you'd probably be reading it as a manga series or seeing it on T.V.

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**Note to self No.1:**

**Topology Textbooks are sometimes portal entry points.**

The sky slowly grew dark as I walked out of my class. That was the last time I was going to tutor Jung Kuramaki. It was true that he was handsome enough to die for. But unfortunately as fate would have it that was the only thing he was. The fact that I had remained totally inconspicuous throughout the one hour we spent studying together was something of an insult. And all he had done was doodle obscenities in the notepad he had and grinning at the girl next to me, another science scholar who seemed to find this amusing, while I was slogging hard as a mule to try getting simple differential equations into his thick skull.

"Hey, Aredhel!" I turned around.

"It was a tough day, wasn't it?" I smiled at Natalie as I jogged down the stairs towards the train-station from where I would catch a train to my hostel. Oh blissful weekends were here! And how I wanted a break! Being a physics major was nerve-racking sometimes. But it was a subject I loved and so, I couldn't complain.

"How did your session go?" I asked her as she hugged her folder to her chest and started walking faster to match my pace. She shrugged,

"Not bad. At least my student wasn't doodling when I was explaining the vector atom model!" I smiled as I shook my head.

"For some reason, I believe the only model Jung would understand would be the ones that come in fashion magazines." She laughed as though I had cracked the funniest joke.

I smiled. This was Natalie Smith. She was a foreign student just like me. And we had become close friends in just the one week after semester started. I was a normal nineteen year old. When girls my age were going out with boy friends, I was working out basic topology sums. Fortunately, even if I grew old as a single, I'd have Natalie for company. Not that I preferred the members of my own gender – I was as straight as a poker! But being with Natalie was like being with me…we were similar in a lot of ways!

"Wanna join me for a latte?" I shook my head as I hoisted my bag higher on my shoulder.

"I'm up to my nose with assignments. So, I'll see you next week." She nodded as she turned to her left towards her hostel which was closer to the college than mine. There were distant sounds of thunder as I jogged faster towards the train-station.

There was one place I simply had to go to before I went back to my hostel.

I smiled as I stood fifteen minutes later before the huge building – the National Library.

* * *

"Er…I'm here looking for a book on Advanced Topology?" I said, my voice twice its usual volume. This woman was probably deaf as a doorknob for she merely looked at me like she was surveying some new hitherto unknown species. I rolled my eyes heavenward as I heaved my bag higher on my shoulder once more. (These things were getting heavier by the hour!) 

"I'm afraid I'm hopeless in fashion. Do you want a book about cool tops?" I was trying my hardest not to bang my head on the desk as I muttered a no.

Just then another man dropped in. I turned to him, giving up on the woman who turned to him as well.

"A book on advanced Topology? Wasn't there one on the shelf?" he asked me. I shook my head sheepishly,

"I didn't know where to look. This place is huge." He smiled as though he heard people say this often. He merely nodded as he walked away from the desk and towards me.

"Then, please let me help you." I smiled my gratitude as I followed the librarian. As we walked, he tried striking a conversation with me.

"You're not Japanese, are you?"

"No."

"Where's your home town then?"

"Er…in India. But I grew up in London."

He turned around and regarded me with wide eyes filled with surprise.

"Oh my! Isn't it hot in India?" he asked me as he ploughed on, not waiting for my reply, about his adventures in the sub-continent. I smiled as I found this amusing as well as touching.

"Ah! There they are!" he said, having led me deep into the library, probably into the very rear of the building. I smiled as I thanked him and walked to the shelf marked 'Topology' it was apparent that I wouldn't have found the place even if I tried.

The shelves were arranged in a 'bizarre not so very much of an alphabetical order' and that was a logical explanation as to why I was forced to trudge so far away for the one book I wanted…

I sighed as I walked closer to the shelf and placing my bag on the desk, turned to survey the array of tomes that were there. Hopefully I would be done in an hour or so and then there would be bliss!

"Drat!" Things never turn out the way one expects them to – do they? I sighed as I skimmed through the titles searching for the one book that eluded my sight.

"We have waited a long while…" said a voice from behind me.

I squeaked as I turned around, dropping the book I was carrying.

_What the hell?_

The voice that was seriously deep and 'Oh-my-god'ish apparently belonged to the man who stood there with what looked like antlers and a blue dragon sticking out of his head (or was it from his helm?) and in the weirdest of costumes in blue armour and baggy white pants and scaly looking boots. The guy wouldn't be out of place probably in some kung-fu movie but in a library where people came looking for books on topology? Tough luck! But apparently I was the only one in the aisle then.

_Ooookay? _

"Your destiny waits… now go." With that he turned around and was gone. It took me ten seconds to figure out what was happening exactly…to snap out of it more like!

"Hey! Wait a minute!" I walked after him and as soon as I turned the corner to where there was some populace who were apparently startled by my shout. I could see no strange hot guy who was in a dress that looked like he was from the realm of the past.

I smiled sheepishly as I got back to my aisle, banging my head lightly in the book I carried.

Wait a minute! When did I have a book in my hand? I looked down to find an old tattered book with its deep blue cover starting to peel along the spine.

"Alright…" I sat down, staring at the weird book.

Where did this come from? I shook my head trying to clear something off my mind. Who was that dude? And what was with the 'your-destiny-awaits-you" speech?

I looked around just to be sure there weren't any hidden cameras around! Maybe the Japanese were into practical jokes as well.

Having spotted none, I turned my attention back to the book in my hand.

I sighed as I shook my head. I definitely needed a break alright! Getting up from where I sat, I heaved my bag yet again, deciding to go home. There went my idea of finishing my assignments in time! I hadn't taken but two steps away from the table when I felt this eerie sensation…I turned around and true enough the book still lay there. I didn't even think (a mistake I shall terribly rue for later!) as I turned around and with a determined huff sat down, my backpack pressing against my back as I sat down on the chair. I opened the book slightly to find some totally unintelligible scrawling in what seemed like Chinese. It was a wonder that there were people who actually understood a word for all it seemed was like a vertical line in ink that was looped and jutted out at irregular intervals.

"Oh brother!" I sighed as I turned another page to find the picture of what I thought was a dragon soaring in the heavens.

I was about to close the book, careful not to damage any of the yellow papyrus when there was a distant rumble.

"Huh?"

I did not know what happened after that as a blinding light enveloped me and the next moment, I felt darkness overtake my senses.

* * *

Blearily opening my eyes, I found myself in what seemed like a garden. The gentle sounds of the flowing stream close by was the first to reach my ears as I lay there sprawled on the grass, squinting in the afternoon sun. 

_Afternoon? Sunlight in the Topology section of the National Library? _

I got up hastily (well laboriously, as I still had the heaviest backpack pulling me towards the ground!) and looked around. I was near a small pond which had a small bamboo bridge across it.

"Okay…don't panic! P-please don't panic!" I kept muttering to myself.

I slowly got up from the grass and turned around. The garden was apparently deserted as there was not another soul in sight.

"This I can handle! There's an apparent logic here. There's gotta be." I was chanting as I walked towards a clump of huge oaks that stood near the pond.

As the oak trees cleared, I was astonished as far as that word could be stretched as I saw what sat (stood or whatever!) there.

Beyond the oak, I came face to face with a building that was two stories high. And from the architecture, it seemed like a Chinese or Japanese castle. Whatever apparent logic I was trying to figure out was turning illogical by the minute.

There was a corridor that apparently skirted the castle or the part of it that I could see. And the garden seemed to extend to and beyond the building. There was only one logical explanation that I could think of.

This wasn't a library and I wasn't in the Japan of the twenty-first century any more.

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Author's note: 

TADA! End of the first chapter! Please read and review folks!

Until next time,

Anarya of Lorien.


	2. Guys with pointy things!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. I repeat…I don't own Fushigi Yuugi! If I did, I'd probably make Hotohori a physicist! MWAHAHAHA! Oooh! The hot professor type! Yummy! (Daydreaming away now! Read on folks!)

**Author's Note:** It has been looooooooooooooooooooong ne? Oh well... I was having some serious issues to deal with! And now that my life has somewhat regained normalcy, I am BACK!! Oh yeah! Do let me know what you think of this one, folks!  
Arigatou! :D

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**Note to self No.2:**

**Men with spears can sometimes be dangerous.**

I stood there, hidden by the boughs of the tree, behind whose trunk I had taken refuge. The corridors of the supposed castle were deserted as well. I was beginning to panic. Had I broken all the laws of Physics in one go and ended up in a dimension filled with huge gardens and empty castles? I took a deep breath as I slowly stepped away from the shade and closer to the corridor.

"Hey you!" I started as I turned to my left to find two men standing there, dressed similar to that weirdo in the library – only that their colour scheme of choice seemed to be red and crimson. I looked around as though to make sure that they were addressing me. Yep! It had been me alright! When I turned back towards the men in red, they were marching towards me with shiny spears in hand.

I squeaked as I stood there rooted to the spot. When they did come closer, I could see that they were extremely handsome.

_Okay Aredhel, prioritize! Gawk and die or run away! _

"Who are you maiden? And what are you doing in the personal gardens of the emperor? Are you from the harem?" I blinked as it was the sanest reply. One of them pushed his spear closer to my face, making me take a step backwards.

"Answer, woman."

"Er…" I was too busy staring at the really sharp looking spear that was probably an inch away from my carotid artery.

"Who is it?" there was a voice. It sounded old and feeble. The men snapped to attention, the spears now pointing to the sky as they turned around and the three of us saw a man who I personally believed to be the oldest dude I had ever seen. His white beard was quivering and somehow, the deep blue silken robes that he wore seemed a tad bit large for him.

Our eyes met as I stood there gawking at the newcomer.

"Who is she? Is she from the harem?"

_Harem?_

"She is not, my lord. I personally think she is a spy." I stared at the guy as he said it, trying not to laugh. I had been called a nerd all my life and was also mistaken for a professor once. But a spy? Did he seriously think I was into espionage?

The old man frowned at me, his eyes resting on my appearance. I backed away a little only to find the two men with spears grab my arm and hold me in place.

"Take her away." I heard the man say, his voice serious. I gulped again. Okay…this was peachy! I tried to wriggle out of their grasps only to have their grips tighten.

"Don't squirm, woman. Lest you desire to be hurt." Okay that silenced me!

"Er….but I-"

"You have the right to remain silent!" the old man cut me short. I looked at him, helpless, as the two 'guards' led me off to some place. I turned around to find the old man still frowning at me, his bushy eyebrows quivering comically.

When I knew they were taking me to some place, I thought about the prison. But this was no prison! This was a hellhole!

The room I was in was in serious need of an exterminator. There were rats running here and there and I also caught sight of an occasional cockroach.

I hugged my knees as I sat in what was probably the neatest part of the room. There were tattered mattresses and a blanket of straw beside me and an earthen pot filled with water. At least they had decided not to let me die of thirst! And the water was cleaner than expected.

They had taken my backpack away and had shoved me into what seemed like the darkest and dingiest room in the entire frigin' place and while I sat here wondering how my simple quest for a topology textbook had led me into a dungeon, I heard the loud clang of the gates being opened.

Four guards now stood before me, their spears shining in the light of the torch that one of them held.

"The emperor wants to see you." he said gruffly. They threw open the doors of my room and waited for me to get up and walk out.

Did the emperor decide to release me? Or perhaps…he wanted to issue an execution order! I gulped as I felt one of the men tie my hands with some cord and push me roughly towards where I thought the door was.

"Don't try running away. Or we might have to kill you sooner." He warned me as he secured the knot. Okay! The genius thought I would run away when they had a small battalion of soldiers around me.

_Very smart, Einstein!_

The soldiers force-marched me along unfamiliar corridors which got grander by the step. Then suddenly they stopped. I walked straight into the broad back of the soldier in front of me. I raised my head to find myself in front of huge crimson – almost brown double doors that two guards opened. I tried to crane my neck to catch a glimpse of what was inside only to be glared at by the dude to my left.

I smiled weakly at him as he caught my arm and pulled me roughly into the room.

"All of you may leave." I heard the same old voice. I felt the vice like grip on my arm loosen mercifully as the guards bowed before the old guy and retreated away from the room.

When we were alone, I turned to the old man who was surveying my clothing with interest…well curiosity would have been apt. I looked down at myself. I was dressed in the simplest of clothing. A pair of tan cords and a white T-shirt. My disheveled hair had once been in a pony tail and my shoes were extensively dirty.

"What is your name, woman?"

"A – Aredhel sir." I mumbled, half afraid I might say something inappropriate.

"Did you not know that you were trespassing in the private properties of the emperor of Khonan?"

_Emperor of what-nan?_

I merely stayed silent as I didn't have a clue what the old chap was going on about.

"The emperor has decided that you are not a spy." Alright! They figured that one out. About time!

"Our emperor wants to meet you." he said gruffly. Wait a minute! Wasn't this guy the emperor? I looked up baffled as he stood there, in a deep bow towards another man who seemed to have entered the room.

If I thought the old guy's dress was a joke, I had judged too soon. The dress of the emperor would have won the position of the most comical costume award hands down. The dude was in a red gaudy silk gown – thingy that seemed to shimmer whenever he moved. There were apparently layers and layers of clothing underneath that for the white under-layers seemed to peek out from his sleeve and his hem. And his shoes…there was only one way to describe that footwear.

_Boats?_

I tried my best to keep a straight face as I looked up at his face. (That it would have seemed rude, did not strike my democratic brain.) The first impression that I had on the first glance of Saihitei Seishuku, the emperor was

_Wow! Hot! _

He had golden brown eyes that seemed to smile when he acknowledge the bow the older man was offering and when they turned to me, they snapped to alertness. But that did little to hide the gentleness and beauty they held. His mouth (adorned by a pair of firm and sensual lips) was curled in a half-smile as he looked down his straight aristocratic nose. There was something about this guy…his features and demeanor suggested that he was handsome as the devil and he knew that. He walked towards me, his motion as slow and deliberate as that of a tiger about to pounce.

I was having trouble standing as I felt my legs shake a little. I didn't know if it was because I was scared and intimidated by the emperor or because of the fact that Adonis was here in front of me.

"We see that the woman is indeed strange." His voice was deep…almost a purr as he stood a few yards away from me.

Who did he think he was calling strange? It was a bit rich coming from a guy who wore boats for shoes and a Chinese take-away box for a hat! Well…a Chinese take-away box with chopsticks pierced through them. But I decided to remain silent, for the safety of my own neck.

"We wish to interrogate her." he turned to the old man, "Alone."

The old man bowed deeply once more as he walked out of the room and to my horror closed the door as he walked out.

Uhoh.

I never took my eye away from the emperor as he casually walked to a table and chair that stood there and instead of sitting in the chair, he leaned against the table, his arms folded over his chest.

"You can come closer. We won't eat you." his voice was laughing – almost. I slowly moved a little closer but still stood a good yard away from him. He shrugged when he saw this and turned to the table where I found, to my surprise, my things lying scattered in random mess.

"What the hell?!" I cried out, temporarily forgetting the fact that the 'emperor' was there in front of me, watching my every moved with alert eyes.

"We believe these are yours?" he said nonchalantly as he took one of the books and leafed through it casually.

"Too right they are! Do you even know how much those textbooks cost? I had to work for night shifts at Qwikey's for a whole month to buy that book! Hey!" he looked up at me, his eyes shining with mirth.

"What are these? The script is quite…strange." I tried not to look exasperated. Here I was ranting on about the cost of the books that I so loved and he had the nerve to ask me what they were!

"Topological theorems…and you're holding the book upside down." I said automatically. He looked at me, his gaze totally confused as he straightened the hold he had on the book. Well...half the people in my own class didn't understand what was in that. So, it wasn't all that very surprising.

"Advanced mathematics? You know…science?" I said tentatively. He smiled amused. Boy! This guy sure knew how to tick me off.

"You must be very learned. For a woman, that is indeed impressive."

The guy was a chauvinist now?

"Where do you hail from, maiden? That, we would like to know." he asked me as he placed the book back on top of the heap of other things.

"It depends on the place where I am right now." I said bracingly as I looked around. This didn't look like the national library at all! And for some reason, this seemed too real to be a dream.

"Hmmm?"

Was he making fun of me?

"What is your name? We presume you have one?"

"It's Aredhel." He nodded acknowledging what I said and picked up another book from the pile…my notes on Nuclear physics.

"Look here." I started but at that moment, I knew I was in front of the emperor by the way his eyes held a commanding presence over me. I sighed as I shook my head,

"I don't know what this is all about and believe me, your majesty, I have tried all sorts of logical explanations to why I am here and all of them are only making me doubt my own sanity."

He smiled as he straightened up and took a step towards me. I backed away instinctively.

"That could be because you are not from this world."

"That much I figured!" I retorted sarcastically. He laughed.

"You seem too outspoken for a woman. But then again…it is nice…" he took another step towards me.

"You have a strange aura around you that is unlike any I've felt before. The reason you have come here could be because you were meant to be…" he whispered softly as he held my hands in his, removing the cord that tied my hands.

By this time, I was positively panicking.

"Whoa there!" I said, as I pulled my hand out of his gentle grasp and backed away a little.

"What in the name of GOD are you going on about, here?"

"There is a legend that states the arrival of a virgin maiden from another world…one who shall save this realm from evil. We believe you are the chosen one. The one who has the power to summon our guardian… you are a virgin…aren't you?"

"Yes. Now wait a minute! What do you mean by that? Hey, are you talking about a sacrif-"

"We assure you; you shall come through the 'ordeal' alive…" Will you not help us in our hour of dire need? There was a twinkle in his eyes as he interrupted me.

"Help you? How?"

"By summoning the Guardian deity – Suzaku."

"Suza-who?" I asked automatically. His smile widened a little as he shook his head.

"Suzaku – the red phoenix of the south."

_Red phoenix!? _

"Er…" he took another step towards me and caught my hand in his, firmly.

"For the sake of our people who shall celebrate your arrival with songs of hope and faith, will you not agree to become the Suzaku no Miko? Will you not help us in our time of dire need, Aredhel?" I stared at him, totally believing the guy was out of his mind (and also astonished to how quickly he got my name right!). But there was a strange streak of determination in his eyes as he stood there waiting for my answer.

"I don't know what to say."

"We must inform you that by summoning Suzaku, you shall be granted three of your wishes."

"Any wish?" he smiled as he nodded his head. That meant this Suzaku could probably send me back. And apparently he was thinking the same thing.

"He would send you back once you summon him." he said, his voice casual, as though confident that I would accept the offer.

"Well…in that case, I don't think that's gonna hurt that much. Okay. I think I'll do it." I said shrugging. But apparently I just made his day for he looked like he wanted to hug me. But he merely tightened the grip he had on my hand warmly as he smiled and said,

"I am so relieved! Our troubles are at end now."

Well mine were just beginning.

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Author's Note:

There you have it folks! I'm aware that some of you would have suspected the role Aredhel would be playing. But hold on for suspense yet to come. (I think…)

And don't forget to review!

See you soon!

Anarya of Lorien.


	3. Cute girls in weird dimensions

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Yes! I own it all! All of it! Each and every character in it! Do you believe me? No? Hmm…Okay.

Author's Notes:

I'd like to thank the following reviewers...

**Lady Seiryu:** Did you miss me? :D It's sooooooo good to be back! And hope you'll like this one! :) Cheers!

**lola 123:** I hope I didn't make you wait for long! :) And erm... no... I hope my muses don't direct me towards a Hotohori/Nakago pairing... but it does sound interesting! Ai! Not this one! Though Nakkie-pooh does play an important role! Giving up too much information here! LOL Enjoy!

**RP: **Thanks RP! Hope you'll drop in some time soon and check the development of the plot!

**Hikitsulover-818: **Another Hikitsu lover! I read Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden and I should say... Hikitsu! Raaawr! ;)

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.3:**

**Servant girls in ancient unidentified dimensions can be cute.**

"So…" I started cautiously. "You worship this chicken called Suzaku?" there was a slight trace of annoyance in the emperor's face but he repeated for what was the tenth time,

"He is a phoenix. I beg of you to talk about our guardian deity with a little reverence." I grinned as I shrugged. It had been a day since me 'dropping' into this world and now the entire country knew me to be the Suzaku no Miko – the priestess of Suzaku. Boy, did these people get stuff done fast! The sight had been amazing. There was an entire courtyard of people who were dressed in the same deep blue outfit that the old man had been wearing and they all bowed before me in unison.

_I was the queen of the world! _

I grinned at the emperor who smiled politely back.

I was seated with the emperor in a room that was the grandest ever! And to think that I would be using these living quarters during my stay as the priestess of the divine chicken – I mean phoenix.

"So…how do I summon Suzaku?" I asked absently as I drummed my fingers on the table top.

"You have to collect your seven warriors – the shichi seishi of Suzaku. They are the ones who shall be your protectors. They are Tamahome, Chicheri, Nuriko, Mitsukake, Tasuki, Chiriko and Hotohori. Once all have been gathered then…and only then can you summon Suzaku."

"Not exactly the easy way out, is it?" I asked sardonically after having learnt that my only hope of ever getting back to my world was through Suzaku. The emperor smiled sympathetically as he placed his hand over mine, his long fingers clasping mine gently, and sending shivers down my spine.

"You need not fear anything, Aredhel. My country is in debt to you. And as the emperor of this country, it is my duty to serve you. I can also say it is my destiny." He smiled as his other hand casually moved the collar on his left side.

"HOLY COW!" I jumped. There was something glowing there and from the looks of it, it looked painful!

"This is the sign that I am one of the seven star warriors. One of your seven star warriors, you might say…I am Hotohori." I nodded though I was still stunned.

"Er…does it hurt?" I asked as I gently prodded the sign that was now giving a faint glimmer. He smiled as he silently shook his head.

"Okay…it's still weird." He laughed as he shook his head.

"Oh Aredhel. I cannot believe you. You are the strangest person I have ever had the fortune of meeting." I smiled as I scratched my head, embarrassed. This was a compliment from the hottest emperor that I had ever seen! (It was not like I had seen any emperors before this.)

"Thanks?"

He smiled as he nodded.

"You ought to rest. We still have a lot to discuss and…" he stood up. I looked at him expectantly.

"And?" he merely smiled.

"Good night, Aredhel. If you need anything, do not hesitate to come to me. My rooms are quite close to yours." He pointed to the door that was a little farther down the corridor. I smiled as I bowed a little.

"Good night, emperor." He smiled as he walked to his room. I walked back to my room, falling back into the unbelievably soft bed and in a matter of seconds, I was asleep.

There are times when you wish for nothing more than blissful non-existence. Especially when you're half-asleep on a really comfortable bed. Now was one of those times. Then,

"Aredhel…wake up." I heard a gentle voice.

"C'mon Natalie! What're you doing here…today's Saturday!" I mumbled as I rolled over…away from the voice.

"Er…Aredhel?" there it was again. I twitched my hand away from the gentle touch as I turned my head towards the voice and groggily opened my eyes.

There was a man in weird costume, smiling at me as he gently patted me awake.

"Good morning." He whispered as he retracted his hand. I smiled as I absently nodded before reality came crashing down on my senses. My eyes jerked open as I got up startled; I turned to my right to find the emperor standing there a little startled himself but otherwise looking graceful and composed.

"Emperor?"

He smiled as he nodded and seated himself in the chair by my bed.

_My bed?__ So that means it wasn't a dream? I'm seriously in some weird dimension? _

"Good morning Aredhel. I hope you slept well?" I smiled as I nodded.

"Yeah. Like a log more like!" his eyebrow arched gracefully as his smile widened. Darn he looked so hot early in the morning!

"I was hoping that you would join me for breakfast." I smiled as I nodded. Then I looked down at myself. I was robed in a really comfortable white silken robe, which resembled a bath-robe more that a night dress. I looked back at the emperor to find him smiling understandingly.

"I presume you'd want to change? I shall have some servants help you." with a small bow, which did little to undermine the fact that he was the emperor, he left the room.

I looked around my room from the glamorous settee in the deepest of reds to the magnificent wardrobe in white, red and gold.

I got out of bed and walked to the wardrobe and opened it to find dresses in silk, silk and more silk.

"Hopefully there are some silkworms still live and kicking somewhere!" I muttered as I closed the door and turned back to find a young girl of fifteen or so standing there demurely, her almond eyes downcast.

"Hello. How may I help you?"

She did not move or speak. I walked towards her, smiling. She looked up and did a curtsey.

"I was sent here by his majesty to serve your Eminence."

_Your__ Eminence? _

I stared at the girl, not knowing how to react. Here I was, a girl who never ever had a house help, and now, there was my personal maid? Okay…

"Er…and you have a name, I suppose?" she nodded as she curtseyed again.

"They call me Lin." I smiled as I nodded my head.

"That's a pretty name. And you're pretty too!" the girl blushed as she bowed low once more.

"Your Eminence is kind." she mumbled for me to hear.

"I really appreciate your help but could you please call me Aredhel. I'm not that great a person and all…" she looked up surprised.

"But that would be disrespectful, your Eminence."

"No…I insist. Please?" she looked at me, her eyes uncertain before she smiled.

"I can call you lady Aredhel. But I cannot address you without a title at all. That would be too much!" she said, scandalized.

"Okay. That's better than 'your Eminence', don't you think?" I asked, quite earnest to try and get Lin to talk more freely.

She giggled and bowed. (That was a lot of bows!)

"I shall prepare your bath, my lady." She said as she turned to what I presumed was the bathroom. Being the ever curious person that I was, I followed her and literally had my breath stolen away.

There was a room just as large as my sleeping quarters (which were by themselves humongous!) the white tiles that lined the walls seemed to reflect the light in an almost magical way. There were small and dainty stools with red silk cushions scattered around a huge pool which was filled with clear water, the bottom of which pictured a red phoenix who I presumed to be Suzaku, in flight.

"This. Is. Awesome." I said as I stepped in after Lin. There were potted plants here and there and the effect was like that of being in a tropical forest. There was also a balcony with steps which led to the gardens beyond, partly hidden from view by pale green bamboo screens…

"This is for me?" I asked, my voice squeaking.

"Yes. You are after all the savior of our land."

I felt a bit anxious. This was all so confusing. First I'm dubbed into some super-heroine and then they treat me like a queen. I was afraid there would be some catch somewhere.

"Shall I not assist you in disrobing, my lady?" I started as I turned to Lin who looked eager to get her hands on my clothing. I squirmed as I took a step back.

"Er…I think I can manage myself. Thanks Lin." I said as I smiled. She looked confused but shrugged.

"I shall have your ensemble ready, milady." I nodded as I slid the door close and turned to survey the huge bathroom with interest.

_This is gonna be fun!_

"I don't think this is a good idea!" I said, looking down at the deep red over kimono, which was heavily brocaded to depict some mountainous region with storks flying amidst the clouds and a single gazebo over looking a cliff. Then there was this second layer which went under the red one. This was in the starkest of white. There were subtle designs of flowers in crème and below this, there was a linen robe which, Lin informed me was something like an undergarment.

Technically, this was supposed to make a woman look demure. But truthfully, I looked like an idiot.

I turned to Lin who smiled serenely as she surveyed her work.

"But you look ravishing!"

_Yeah right! And I'm Einstein's third wife!_

"I think I'll drop the red layer. I'll suffocate." She looked at me, her trademark scandalized look in place.

"You can't go like that in front of the 'Emperor'!" I sighed as I shook my head, the numerous beads and pins that were poking into my cranium, twinkling.

"You mustn't be late, my lady! Now hurry up!" she said as she opened the door. I looked unsteadily at my reflection not for once believing that this creature was me. I looked like a Kabuki dancer, sans the face paint of course! I had blatantly refused Lin's attempts to paint my face.

I took a step towards the door and would have toppled over, had I not caught the bed post. As I straightened up, I found Lin working hard to suppress her peals of mirth.

"Very funny, Lin!" I said my voice a little sterner. She looked at me fearfully before sinking into a deep bow, on her knees, her head almost touching the carpet.

"Please forgive my impudence, your Eminence!" she cried, startling me.

"Hey…Hey! Don't do that! I was just joking! Are you listening to me? Lin…" she raised her head a little and I saw her beautiful face small and pink, as though she would cry any moment. I smiled as I raised the hem of my dress and walked (read lumbered) towards her. I crouched on the floor as I lifted her face.

"I don't know how things are run around here…but in my world, we treat our servants like friends…and some special ones who are really close like family. Okay?" I said and was surprised even more to find her in silent tears. I wiped them off gently as I bade her stand.

"Now, let's go. Shall we?"

She smiled as she walked ahead of me, towards the door beyond which waited the emperor.

* * *

Author's Note:

End of yet another chapter and 'tis time for ye to review oh voices of the public! So I bid thee hit the 'Go' button and send thy comments and criticisms (ones with encouragement and constructive pointers) posthaste!

I'll be back!

Anarya of Lorien.


	4. Celtic love knots and confessions

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fushigi Yuugi. And that's final! HIC! Now where's the fiery bandit? Oi! Tasuki! I challenge yeh for a brawl! HIC! (chugs on more sake)

**Author's Notes: **I'd like to thank the following reviewers!

**Lola123: **Thanks for the review! And sure... I knew the previous chapter was kinda short. Sorry ne? One nice long chappie to make up for it!

And thanks to all the other ghost readers out there! Come on guys! let me know what you think ne?

Okay... On with the story!

* * *

**Note to self No.4:**

**HOT emperor + Celtic love knot One memorable day.**

I walked towards the ornate doors, carefully led by Lin. I would have toppled over had it not been for her.

"I am afraid, I cannot enter." She said as we stood before the doors, flanked by two guards who bowed to us as we approached.

"Why not?" I asked automatically. She smiled as she shook her head,

"I have been ordered not to enter the royal quarters." and saying so, she bowed and walked off, leaving me stranded in front of the emperor's room!

I rolled my eyes heavenwards as I placed my hands, (which were peeking from the various layers of lace and silk.) on the door handle. For some reason, the door wouldn't budge!

"Er…" I stared at one of the guards who smiled gently and opened the door for me, before bowing once more. I turned around to find Lin completely gone.

_Great! _

I silently took a step towards the room and peeked inside. I was apparently in some room where the emperor greeted visitors for there were lots of chairs around and some couches as well. All of them were in gold and red. There were tapestries in silk and gold and from where I stood, I could catch a glimpse of another room which I presumed was the bedroom for I saw a really huge four-poster bed in crème and gold with curtains in gauzy crème. I wanted to see the beautiful things up close but for one thing…I knew he wouldn't take to that nicely. And so, I stood there…not knowing what to do. Then,

"Aredhel!"

Turning to my left, I found the emperor walk in from another room which I presumed was his bedroom. He was ravishing as usual! And he had apparently changed his dress since the last time I saw him, which was a few hours ago.

"Good morning, emperor." I said, grinning. His eyes twinkled with amusement as he walked towards me, negotiating his way between the couches and a cherry-wood coffee table and held my hands in his again. His eyes looked my up and down once, his smile growing all the while.

"You look divine." He said his voice sincere. I felt my cheeks burn as I lowered my eyes.

In all my life, I had remained forever invisible to the opposite sex and now, one of the finest specimens of the said gender was calling me divine?! Wow! I could hear a huge chorus of 'Hallelujia' in my head!

"Thank you, your majesty. Though I doubt if you intended the pun!" I said causing the emperor to laugh…it was a beautiful sound!

"Come, you must be famished." He said leading me to what seemed like a balcony where there was a table laid out for two. There were all sorts of fruits and nuts and some other delicacies that I did not know the name of. It seemed like a garden of fruits had burst out on the table.

"Please, sit down." He helped me into a chair and seated himself opposite to me.

I smiled at him as I took in what was in front of me... Before I could eat, I had some question regarding my warriors. When I thought of it, it filled me with an unexplainable feeling of pride.

_My Warriors... Charged with my protection... protection? From what?_

For some reason... that train of thought left me feeling like a slowly deflating baloon.

"So…" I said, as a servant poured tea into dainty cups for the both of us and vanished off. (Quite literally!)

"So?" he echoed as he sipped his tea, his eyes on me.

"Well…" I said, looking at my plate.

"Well?" there was a tinge of amusement in his voice.

I looked up, a bit annoyed.

"Are you going to keep repeating whatever I'm saying?" I asked before realizing that I was actually talking to the 'emperor'. I clapped my hand over my mouth as I gasped. Oh no! Would he think me rude? Would I be thrown back into the dungeon? Maybe stoned to death?

"I'm sorry, your majesty." I said earnestly as I looked down at my plate again. There was a sound of gentle laughter. Like he was deeply amused.

"Why don't you eat, my lady?" I smiled as I took an apple from the basket between us and took a bite. I closed my eyes, savoring the delicious flavor of the apple, as I chewed into it. And all of a sudden... everything melted away save the flavour in my mouth.

"Mmph! Thish ish good! Heaven ish a good apple I tell woo!" I said my mouth full. He laughed even loudly...but still with that same good humour as he shook his head as though he had never seen such behavior before.

I felt the blush deepen as I placed the apple demurely (well, I tried!) on my plate and took the tea cup, smelling the fumes of the jasmine tea.

I cursed myself. There was a very high probability that I was acting quite like an immature peasant on her first trip to the city. And I wondered if there indeed were cultured women who took all of this in their stride... I looked up at him but lowered my eyes when he smiled at me, his laughter reduced to a snigger now. I wondered if he had a queen.

"I presume you have some more doubts about your arrival?" he asked. I looked up startled and nodded.

"Well then…please ask. I might be able to help you." he said, biting into an apple himself.

"Er…you mentioned about some warriors who were gonna help me? Well…I was thinking…well…how we were going to collect them…or if they were going to come here." I said, hoping I sounded comprehensible.

He nodded as though he understood what I was getting at. Maybe this connection thingie was right.

"The bond that the Miko shares with her seishi is quite strong. And for that fact…they are both drawn towards each other…you will meet your warriors in the right time and when it has been accomplished, you can summon Suzaku." He said matter-of-factly.

"Hmm." Now there was a problem.

"What is it? Is something the matter?"

I looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm fine. It's just that…it might take a long time…" I said as my grip over the tea cup tightened. He smiled as his hands covered mine over the table and his eyes held mine in a gentle gaze.

"I am indeed indebted to you for your acceptance…and I hope you do not find your stay here cumbersome."

"Oh no! I didn't mean it in that way…I – I mean I was…just…heheh…" I finished lamely as I felt my face turn ten times redder. What was wrong with me? Here I was stammering like an idiot when I had no reason to! How many times does one get to be the royal guest?

The emperor smiled at me as he released the hold he had over my hand.

"I am glad you're here, Aredhel. It is indeed nice to have someone to talk to during breakfast."

"Don't you talk to your ministers? I mean…" he smiled wryly as he bit into the apple once more and chewed like a calf in deep philosophical comprehensions.

"If only they would let me speak…" the way he said it, made me feel uncomfortable and guilty.

"Life's hard for an emperor, I guess." I said meditatively as I sipped my tea. He smiled as he nodded.

"Very hard." We smiled at each other. Breakfast resumed.

The topics now turned to the lighter side, both of us laughing most of the time over some joke from my side or some funny anecdote from his. He was telling me about his practice sessions with the sword, his apparent recreation.

I was about to speak out when a minister, one who was younger than the old dude I had seen that day stepped out from nowhere.

_How did they do that? _

The moment, he appeared, something changed in the emperor's eyes. The mirth was gone to be replaced by a façade of solemnness.

"Your majesty is eagerly expected in court. If you'd kindly-"

"I'll join you shortly." He replied, cutting the minister short.

His eyes then fell on me; his smile was wry and gloomy.

"Duty calls." He said. I smiled understandingly as we stood up from where we sat and he walked away following the minister.

Just when he was about to step out of the room, he turned around.

"You can retire to your rooms or look around the palace or even stay here. I don't mind." I nodded as he, with a smile, turned around and walked out.

I frowned at the book as I sat there by my desk, trying my best to work out the given problem. It was apparent I wouldn't be going back by Monday and that meant I would have serious backlog of work.

"My lady…would you like me to run a bath for you?" I looked up from my problem to find Lin standing there with my old clothes in her hand. She was probably taking them out for a wash.

_No one's gonna believe if I tell them I washed my pants in Ancient __China__!_

"Sure." I smiled as I turned my attention back to the problem.

* * *

Some time went by…day wore into night...The early evening found me in a chair with my books in front of me. What if I ended up in my world just as the weekend got over? I would be in some serious trouble if my assignments weren't completed.

"My lady, if you intend to meet with the emperor for dinner, you need to take a bath now!"

"Sure…" I replied distractedly as I tried a different integral combination. Maybe it had to do with the double integral I was employing.

"My Lady!" I looked up, startled. Lin stood there with a frown on her beautiful features.

"Your bath is getting cold." She said. I smiled as I closed my book and stood up from the chair.

"Whatever you say, Lin." I muttered as I walked to the bathroom.

In another fifteen minutes, I stepped out. I had remained in my room all day long, with Lin bringing me lunch and tea as I slogged on with my sums. It was a fact that I loved math. It was true that my 'nerdy' attitude had robbed me of a social life, but I loved it.

"Men date pretty women but marry the smart ones!" I muttered, confusing Lin as I marched out of my bath, dressed in another robe,

This was a midnight blue robe with a crème under robe and a crème sash. I brushed my wet hair and tied it in a loose ponytail with a blue ribbon.

"One look at this and you'd think I'm going to walk the ramp or something!" I muttered as I fingered the soft silken texture of the robe.

"Have a happy evening, my lady." Lin whispered as I forced my feet into crème silken slippers. (I still hadn't gotten used to these things! They seemed a size to small for me.)

I smiled at my maid who was slowly losing her inhibitions. (Always a good thing!)

I wandered along the corridors, searching for the door I had entered through in the morning, only to find myself utterly lost. The corridor had identical doors and I did not have the time to try them all.

"Your eminence?" I turned around to find one of the ministers standing near one of the doors.

"Hello." I said. The man sank into a bow as I walked to him.

"I was waiting to see the emperor?" he straightened as he took a step back.

"His majesty is in the midst of an important meeting…there are some messengers due to arrive from Khutou in a week's time and the preparations are yet to be completed." He seemed a bit hesitant and it confused me.

"In that case, I guess I shall return to my room." I said, trying not to make the disappointment in my voice seem too evident.

"I hope your eminence is not angry-"

"Oh of course not! It's duty first!" I smiled at the man and turned back to my room. (The only door in the darned corridor that I remembered.)

The moment I entered the room, I found Lin stride towards me in a pace I would have considered impossible in these tents that they wore.

"You're back?" she asked me, her voice astonished.

"He's apparently got some meeting or something along those lines." I said casually as I walked towards my table, intending to complete the ignored math sums.

"Oh. Then, will you be having your dinner here?" I nodded absently as I flipped through the pages, not really seeing them.

The man had been quite scared of me…as though he feared I'd attack him. Why? And what was this business about Khutou? I sighed as I shook my head clear of these thoughts and looked up to find Lin stand there with a tray full of hot food.

Well…Emperor or no Emperor, I was hungry!

* * *

I sighed as I stared at the stars. I had escaped from Lin who protested it was late enough for bed when sleeping was the verb farthest from my mind at the moment. I chuckled as I thought back on how she had chased me round the bed before giving up and plopping on my mattress.

And here I stood, clearly the victor, gazing at the stars above as I hummed Enya's _Only Time_. I was a die hard Celtic fan and the fact that the night sky was so full of stars was inspiring me.

"Who can say if your love goes…as your heart chose… Only time!" I broke into open song, raising my arms heavenwards suddenly feeling like a druidess.

"Indeed!" I heard a voice behind me. I squeaked.

"Please do not panic my lady! It is me." I smiled as I turned around in the semi darkness illuminated by a lone lantern a yard away. The light of the full moon being the only other light.

"Emperor! You scared me." I said as I moved a little to make room for him.

"Your voice is very pleasant in verse as it is when you speak." I heard his gentle whisper near my ears. I started, not expecting him to come so close.

"Aw…come on! There must be a million people who can sing better than me!" I said in an embarrassed tone, clearly trying to create a jovial environment around us. He came away from behind me to stand by my right, leaning on the railing, his fingers tapping the wood in a gentle rhythm.

"There might be prettier flowers in a meadow. But that does not make a daffodil ugly." I felt the blush creep higher up my cheek.

"You're a poet!"

He smiled.

"I am sorry I was unable to accompany you for dinner. I heard that you were waiting for me."

"Uh…no problem. I guess being an emperor is hard. Not all play, is it?" he smiled as he turned to stare at me, his caramel eyes entrancing me,

"Never is it all play."

There was silence as I twisted the bit of paper I had in my hand.

"What is that?" I heard him. I smiled as I turned the paper over, a knowing smile.

"This is a really interesting problem. A puzzle you might call it."

His brows rose.

"And? Am I allowed to try it?" I smiled as I nodded.

"You see this paper strip?" he nodded as he neared a little. "This has been folded into a half twist and then the ends have been glued together…like this." I held out the paper strip for him to see. He nodded again.

"Well…how many surfaces does this strip have? Mind you, you cannot jump across edges." I said. He smiled as he rolled his eyes.

"That's easy! There are two surfaces." He said, holding the strip in between his fingers.

"Are you sure?" I asked, fully knowing the fact that he was going to be mesmerized by what would definitely happen next. People (read some laymen) from modern times were themselves baffled when they approached the result. I couldn't wait to see his reaction.

"I am sure as sure can be." He said confidently after scrutinizing the strip thoroughly.

"So…you can't go from here," I pointed to the point on the strip under his index finger, "to here." I pointed to the point on the strip under his thumb. He nodded, bemused.

"Tada!" I traced a path with my finger and wonder of wonders! I smiled as he saw the way my finger went all around the strip…apparently disguised as possessing two surfaces.

"H – How?" he asked, taking the strip away from me and mimicking what I had done only to get the same answer.

"This, my dearest emperor, is what we science people call the 'Möbius Strip'."

"The what?"

"The Möbius strip. It's a mathematical problem…a wonder of nature, you can call it. Ah! There's another beauty to this." I carefully tore the strip down the middle.

"How many pieces will I get?" I asked, trying my hardest not to laugh at the expression he sported. It was as though he was getting ready to fight off a demon.

"Er…I don't know if I shall be wrong again, but…two?" I smiled as I finished with my tearing and unfurled the strip. His eyes widened in surprise once more…

"Just one?" he breathed.

"Yep."

"Interesting!" he said, his hands carefully pulling on the strip to check if it was truly in one piece.

"Glad you like it."

He smiled at me as he shook his head.

"You are a strange woman, Aredhel." I smiled as I pulled at an imaginary collar as I waved my right hand near his face,

"Why thank you! Huh?"

I started as I felt him clasp my hand in his. I turned to find him stare intently at the ring I had.

"What is it, emperor?" I asked tentatively. This was an awkward situation…a gorgeous god holding my hand beneath the moonlight…in solitude…

"What is this ring you have? Its design is quite unique. I have never seen any like it before."

I sighed though I didn't know if it was because of relief or…

"It's Celtic…it's a love knot." He looked up at this.

"A love knot?" I felt the hair on my neck stand up as he said it…a low and deep voice that seemed to make me feel more and more flustered in the most enjoyable way!

"Yeah…it's supposed to aid you in finding the perfect partner…or some thing along those lines."

I took my hand out of his clasp.

"I don't give much thought to that thought…I like the design…its complex and stuff-"

"Why don't you give much thought to that?" his voice cut me midway through my rant about the complexity of the stupid ring. (I was trying to regain my composure actually)

"Er…I – I don't know…I mean, I've never gone out with guys – I mean – er…"

He caught both my hands in his as he turned me to face him. I smiled embarrassed; the lantern behind him was throwing a divine light around him.

"What if the purpose of the knot was for is not lost completely?" he asked, his voice a gentle whisper as he raised my hands and kissed my knuckles, sending shivers down my spine.

_Okay…don't panic, Aredhel! Just don't panic!_

"It was a lonely existence, Aredhel…" he said as his hold tightened a little, warmly.

"There were very few people who really understood me…when I was beyond the reach of most people – the crown prince." There was a trace of contempt in the way he said it.

"But then…I heard about this maiden who would visit the kingdom from another world…a savior…a divine being…I always held onto that thought…thinking that she would probably bring me down from that pedestal to which I was chained. Liberate me from this loneliness that gnaws at my existence…this state of being alone even in the midst of millions…"

I felt his eyes roving over mine as he slowly moved closer.

_Oh. My. God!_

"Will you not alleviate my loneliness, Aredhel?" I felt winded as I felt the distance between us wane.

"I-"

"Won't you…" he breathed, as I felt his lips lightly touching mine.

"Emperor, I-." My voice had gone down to a whisper.

There was silence when he kissed me; the gentle breeze that blew around us did little to cool the heat of my cheeks as I felt his hands cradle my face gently as the kiss deepened.

It was not like I had experience in kissing prior to this but somehow…it felt good. The gentle pressure he exerted and the gently sway of his fingers as they weaved through my hair.

As we broke apart, I felt a little disoriented…my entire head was swimming. I opened my eyes to find him gazing at me…his gentle eyes now smoldering with such intensity that I was surprised.

As he came closer once more, I backed away,

"I – I need to go. Good night." I said as I turned around and practically ran out of that place.

Only when I was a safe distance away did I turn back to the direction of the emperor.

The sight that I saw was indeed memorable…I wouldn't forget it for the rest of my life. Of that I was sure!

The emperor was leaning against one of the pillars as he stared out into the garden…his face contemplative with a frown and his eyes…sad.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yay! I completed another chapter and what it is that now I require? Hmmm….reviews are really appreciated.

So review away! Flames shall be fed to my oven as I bake brownies!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	5. Khutou, problem from the east!

**Treading in the Mist…**

Disclaimer: It's a disclaimer so I can't possibly say I own it. Then, it would be a 'claimer'. MWAHAHA! Heheh…sweatdrop okay on with the tale…

**Author's Note: **It's been long ne?! Did you miss me?? Oh well... I'd like to thank the following reviewers...

**Hermione: **Thank you so very much for the review! I hope you like this chapter as well!

**Lady Seiryu: **LOL couldn't help bring the 'Mobius strip' inside! I'm a die hard fan of Topology and Physics (that being my major and all... .) And as for Nakago... Sure! Glomp him all you want! throws nakago in front of Lady Seiryu and cackles evilly Ahem... thanks for the review. :D

**Lola123: **Glad to hear it! D Enjoy!!

* * *

**Note to self No.5:**

**Khutou's invasion plans are problematic!**

I looked down at the food in front of me as Lin bustled around the room, tidying things up, singing to herself all the while.

_"Will you not alleviate my loneliness, Aredhel?"_

Oh god, I was thinking of him again! I had hardly slept a wink last night and now…

"Shall I have your bath ready, my lady?" I started to find Lin stand there, a bath towel folded in her arms. I nodded as I turned to the door, half expecting him to come bustling through.

"My lady?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something the matter? You seem so lost in thought."

I turned to smile at the girl in front of me as I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Lin."

I grabbed the towel from her and trudged to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, as I stepped out of my bath, I felt a little clearer in mind. There was nothing that I should be worried about! The guy had just kissed me! It was not like he asked me to marry him or anything!

_Get a grip, Aredhel!_

As I dressed myself in the white T-shirt and tan cords, I felt a little out of place. I sighed as I drew my hair into a pony tail and turning around, winked at Lin who seemed to look at me as though I was some alien creature.

_Wasn't I one?_

I sighed as I walked down yet another unfamiliar corridor. It had taken me all morning to find my way through the single corridor that housed my room and now I had ventured off to an adjacent corridor, trying to explore the place. A bad idea on the whole.

_They should post 'you are here' map-boards! I don't think even Theseus would find his way around here!_

"Aredhel?" I started as I turned around and to my dismay (or joy?) found the emperor stand there in all his royal regalia. He shooed the ministers away as I stood there, not knowing what to do.

He was coming towards me and I simply had to think of something fast.

I turned around, eyeing the garden that lay in front of me.

"Aredhel…" I sighed as I turned my eyes away from the willow which couldn't hold my attention for long.

"You weren't there for breakfast." I nodded, as I looked around.

"Aredhel…" I sighed as I turned to face him. I smiled.

"Yes, emperor?" he seemed confused. Then, there was a twitch in his lips.

"Am I bothering you?" I looked up startled as I shook my head. He was smiling at me.

I smiled back, though a little hesitant.

"What is it?" his voice was a whisper as he took another step closer. I felt a strange humming in my ears. It was getting hard to concentrate.

But I managed.

"Er… about last night…" I dragged on. He nodded as he gently moved some hair behind my ears.

"I think I need time to think…you know, this is the first time somebody has asked me things like this and I truly don't know how to react. I need time."

There was a tinge of disappointment in his eyes as he nodded nonetheless, smiling.

"Yes. But of course!" he said as he kissed my cheek,

"I hope I can live by with the answer I shall get from you, Aredhel."

I smiled as I shrugged, holding up crossed fingers.

There was silence as I turned to look at the willow again.

"Is it too much to ask your eminence for a walk?"

I turned to stare at him, confused and a little afraid. Did he just call me 'your eminence'?

There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he looked at me. I rolled my eyes as I held out my hands.

"And we grant ye the permission." He laughed – a really enchanting sound as he pulled me down the stairs towards the said willow.

The walk had done the both of us good. And now, as we sat beside each other in a bench overlooking the pond, I felt like I was sitting beside a friend whom I had been well acquainted with for a long time.

"Er…emperor?" I started a little hesitantly. He merely smiled as he threw another stone that skimmed the pond's surface before landing to its bottom in a display of ripples.

"I don't know if I am permitted to ask this, but last night…" he turned to me, his attention undivided.

"…well, as I was waiting for you, one of your ministers told me, there were going to be some delegations from Khutou. I don't think I understand what he meant completely. I mean, as he spoke to me, he looked like I had just heralded the end of the world. What is this Khutou place like? I mean, are they your…our allies?" his smile broadened as he shook his head.

"Far from it, dear Aredhel." He got up from the bench to walk towards the edge of the pond.

"They shall declare war at Khonan any moment now…now that the Suzaku no Miko has shown herself, it's only a matter of time. It is inevitable."

"But…why would they attack Khonan? I mean…are they into invasion?" I felt my earnestness show itself despite my best efforts.

"Yes. The emperor of Khutou is hell-bent on invading the other three countries that border his – Khonan, Hokkan and Sairou. And since, Hokkan and Sairou have already summoned their respective guardian beasts; the eye of Khutou now turns to the one nation yet to summon its guardian – Khonan."

I felt my jaw slacken as I took in what was being said to me.

"I have a massive responsibility on my shoulder…so do you…so does every warrior of Suzaku."

He smiled again as he nodded.

"That's a lot of responsibilities, emperor."

"Can you not address me as Hotohori?" he asked me, his voice clearly exasperated. I smiled as I shook my head.

"Too long. It's got four syllables. Emperor is just three syllables long." I said. I did notice that he was trying his level best not to roll his eyes.

"Aredhel!"

I laughed as I shook my head.

"I love pulling your leg!"

"Aren't they long enough?" my laughter redoubled as I shook my head, clearly enjoying the situation.

He smiled as he sat next to me, his hand clasping mine again, cutting my laughter abruptly short, for the environment had changed.

"I am glad you're here."

I smiled as I nodded. "Well…glad I could help."

He smiled as he moved forward as though to kiss me.

"I…am leaving now." I smiled as I stood up, pulling gently at my hand that he still held in his. He smiled as he shook his head.

"Where to?" I shrugged.

"Back to my room, I guess? I have a lot of work to do, you know! I am a budding scientist after all!" he cocked an eyebrow.

"A scientist?" I remembered he came from a time when they thought the world was a plate on the back of a tortoise…

"Well…the technology and the general knowledge of the things around us have greatly er…improved in the future. There are people called scientists who find out why things happen the way they do and they write proofs for that. Like why the sun rises on the east? And why does it set in the west? And why the grass is green and the sky, blue? You know…the general stuff – oh! And some things you just won't understand – yet."

I smiled understandingly at the confused and astonished stare I was getting.

"Come on emperor! That's enough science class for one day. Up you get! It looks like its getting hot outside. Let's go back inside?" he shrugged as he got up, (my hand, he refused to let go of) and we walked back to the walkway from which we had descended down to the gardens.

"I hope to see you for dinner, Aredhel." I heard him whisper as we stood before the corridor where my room was.

I smiled as I nodded and doing a small curtsey, which surprised him (darn the cocked eyebrow!); I walked back to my room, happy for some reason.

* * *

I hummed to myself as I patted an offending strand of hair back in place.

"Milady is in a good mood today." I heard Lin remark as she entered the room. I merely grinned as I spun around, as though waltzing with somebody.

"Milady?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you feeling unwell?" I stopped to pull Lin into the waltz and led her around the room, much to her surprise.

"No." I said as I twirled her around. She was laughing now.

"Well…you shall be late." She said as I finished the dance with a sweeping bow towards my partner. She curtseyed in return.

"Okay. I shall be off then." I said as I walked out of my room, adjusting the deep green skirt and the crème sash.

Having located his room faster this time, I slowly opened the door gently.

It seemed as though he was busy with some meeting. I was about to close the door when,

"I don't know if we can trust Lady Aredhel."

_What?_

I heard Hotohori reply, his tone curt.

"I don't see why not."

The same voice answered. "Well…she hasn't shown the red brilliance that is characteristic of the Suzaku no Miko. And…I don't think she has entered the shrine yet."

"So?" I heard Hotohori retort, irritated.

"We do not know if she's a spy or not. Khutou is quite ambitious with her plans of invasions. What if she were a spy? Wouldn't it be wonderful for them if our plans to summon Suzaku were to be foiled?"

"Still your tongue!" I had never heard him sound so angry. I cleared my throat, making him stop whatever he was about to say. I gently opened the door wider as I stood there, waving my hand as a sign of greeting at the emperor who was surrounded by six or seven men, all noblemen, who looked like they were in the middle of some heated argument.

I noticed their faces pale at my presence and I smiled at them, hoping to put them at ease. Hotohori was frowning at me, which surprised me.

"All of you may leave. I would like to have dinner now." The men bowed and filed out of the room, leaving me alone with the emperor. The silence was quite uncomfortable.

"So-"

"Aredhel-"

We had both begun at the same time. I smiled at him as he motioned to continue.

"Er…emperor…I-" he interrupted me once more,

"I don't know what thoughts run in your mind right now, but you must understand that I trust you, Aredhel." I stopped short to find him looking at me with earnestness. It touched me. I smiled as I nodded.

"Okay. Thanks. So, shall we have dinner?"

He smiled as he nodded and motioned towards the balcony from where the lake could be discerned with the moon's reflections.

As we ate, the talking was light. It was mainly started by me, led on by myself and I ended it. In other words he was too preoccupied to even notice that I was glaring at his box hat.

"This is worrying me, Hotohori." I said, unable to take it anymore. He started as he turned to look at me.

"You called me Hotohori." I smiled as I shook my head.

"You're hopeless." He smiled as I moved forward towards me.

"What would you expect, Aredhel? I'm in love." I rolled my eyes.

"You _are_ hopeless." We laughed. There was silence afterwards as I sipped at the wine. (They had the best in the kingdom, supposedly.)

"Aredhel." I looked up from my goblet to find a sight like none other. He was seated, his face graceful and elegant, a tiny smile playing at the edge of his mouth, the moonlight illuminating one half of his face as he smiled at me.

"Hmm? What is it?" I asked. I felt the heat rise up my cheek as I felt his hand grasp mine over the table.

"You must realize that I trust you." I nodded as I felt the heat clearly making my cheeks glow.

"Are you afraid of me?" I shook my head desperately for I had suddenly lost my voice. He smiled understandingly as he kissed my knuckles gently, making my skin tingle.

"Then…" he smiled as he gently pulled at my hand, making me lean forward.

"I know you heard what my ministers were talking about." I nodded, unable to talk anymore. His perfume was enchanting me – it smelt like an exotic mixture of spices and musk.

"I want to prove them wrong." He whispered. I nodded as I felt him coming closer. I did not realize then that I was moving closer as well…

"Will you not step into the shrine? Prove to the insolent fools that you are beyond distrust?" He asked me, his voice a mere breath as he gently kissed me. It took me a while to register what was going on. But once my mind had done just that, I pushed him away hastily, and getting up from where I sat just as fast. He looked at me surprised.

I smiled, trying to regain my composure,

"Er…I…I'm really grateful that you trust me so…and I'll step into the shrine…I mean, if I'm to summon Suzaku, I need to do it in the shrine right?" his surprise now slowly wore off as he nodded, though I did not miss the tinge of disappointment in his eyes as he lowered his eyes to the bowl of rice before him. I felt guilty.

"Hotohori…" he looked up. I smiled or at least tried to as I walked up to the emperor and knelt beside his chair, taking his hands into mine.

"I am seriously sorry. But I told you…"his eyes stopped me from speaking another word.

"I understand… but I think I should make myself clear…I shall spare no expenses in wooing you, Aredhel." He sounded so serious that I didn't think he was joking. I smiled as I nodded, though I was taken aback by the directness of his declaration.

"Whatever rocks your boat, emperor." He smiled at my tone and helped me up with his hand.

"Do you still need time to think, Aredhel?" he asked me in a whisper as he slowly bade me stand and led me towards what I presumed was the corridor. I smiled as I nodded. His face fell a little as I stepped out of the door into the corridor.

"I am sorry, Hotohori. If it were to console you at all, you kiss well!"

He smirked as he moved in,

"I think I can make improvements there…" I laughed as I shook my head as I moved back, away from him and turned around, towards my rooms. From the way he made me feel, I knew he wouldn't have to wait for long.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

And here we stand once more, at the end of yet another chapter waiting for reviews to let us know if the story is good or not.

Review away people.

- Anarya of Lorien.


	6. Seiryuu is a BLUE dragon!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Though I would dearly like to own it, Fushigi Yuugi still does not belong to me. Bad huh!

**Author's Note: **Yesss! I'm finally back! It has been long ne? Oh I'm so sorry! I had an itty bitty operation in my eye. Oh nothing serious actually! My glasses were getting heavier and heavier with the passing years and well... it was such a pain wearing them! So I got my eyes fixed to get rid of 'em completely! And the Doc banned me from going near bright places... Ouch! So, I've sneaked out to give you guys this chappie! Please don't let her know!! LOL

And I'd really love to thank the following reviewers for their support that keeps me going! You guys ROCK! :D

**Hermione:** Thanks a lot! :D Hope you like this one just as much as the last one!

**Hikitsulover-818:** Yes! Hikitsu is Hikitsu... no one can be that charismatic or that handsome! drool Ahem... except Hotohori ofcourse! ;) Am glad I'm back as well! Let the marshmellows flow!

**lola123:** I'm so glad to hear you say that! And I'm loving writing this just as much as you guys love reading it! :D All thanks to your support!

**Luciana:** (I really like this name) Thankies! Am so glad you like the story! Drop by anytime! :)

**kt: **Thank you! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter! :D And seriously... I can't wait for nakago myself! He's so cool!

Well now... that settles it for now! On with the story folks!

* * *

**Note to self No.6:**

**Entering weird shrines drives you insane.**

She was at it again. Here I was – half dressed in a circus tent and all she could think of was matching hair ornaments.

"Lin. Lin… LIN!" she turned around demurely to show me two crimson lacquered hair pins.

"You are entering our shrine for the first time. You have to look special." She deadpanned as I opened my mouth about to urge her to hurry up. I closed my mouth shut again as I shook my head.

"I'm late, Lin." I said, my voice sounded tired even to me. For some reason, I was feeling more like a rag doll than a person these days.

"Ah, hush my lady. It is rumored that all the noble men and their families shall be present for the occasion. And you ought to look your best."

I rolled my eyes as I allowed Lin and another servant girl who was called for the occasion to dress me up.

_Am I getting married or something? This is ridiculous. I'll just enter the darn shrine and be done with it!_

"All done!" I sighed as I moved towards the mirror. I would have gasped and I think I did. My face was definitely not mine. For a woman with limited features to work on, Lin had done a marvelous job. I had no doubt she would put L'Oreal out of business if she came home with me.

I wore a deep crimson outer robe which showed Suzaku at flight, his head held high and his tail feathers encircling me. Beneath the crimson robe, I wore a white under robe with gentle crème designs woven into it making it beautiful and understatedly elegant at the same time. My mid back hair was knotted and tied with a combination of white and crimson ribbons and were now sporting a variety of hair accessories that dangled and shimmered whenever I moved my head. My face had been made up in the most proficient manner, my cheeks blushing gently, my beech brown eyes sparkling and my lips a delicate red.

"Talk about a transformation, Lin! You're a genius." I said as I turned around and hugged Lin and the other girl, surprising them out of their wits. I grinned at them as I walked to the door where I knew, Hotohori waited for me.

I opened the door to find him standing there…like an emperor.

He was smiling at me in the weirdest way, as though he was pleasantly surprised.

_Ha! I can be pretty too! So there!_

I curtseyed in front of him, careful not to let the dangling hair clips into my face.

"You look beautiful." He said, his hands gently looping mine and leading me towards the shrine. I turned to take a good look at him. He looked dashing (as usual).

The crimson robe he wore, matched mine. His crown also had dangling thingies in them and though they looked really funny and hilarious, on Hotohori, they seemed to exude splendor and elegance.

"Are you nervous?" his breath tickled my ear as I shook my head. But actually I was tensed enough to tear my hair apart, danglers and all!

True to Lin's words, there was the entire court out there; all dressed in their noble fineries, gazing at our direction as the drum beats announced our arrival. The sound of the general chatter died away as we walked through the crowd, our heads straight and a gentle smile on our faces.

I could see the advisors lined there, in front of the door of what I presumed was the shrine. Okay. All I needed to do was enter the darn place. And then it would all be over. I felt my heart beat in resonance with the drum beats, sending adrenalin all over my body. It was going to be fine.

The guards opened the doors to the shrine to show the looming form of Suzaku in his entire splendor. The golden statue glowed with an ethereal light as I stood there in front of the door with Hotohori in front of me. He then turned around, facing the noble men.

"This maiden by my side, is the Suzaku no Miko. By entering the shrine, she shall put all our doubts to rest and prove to the unbelieving that she is indeed our savior." He then turned to me and smiled, making my face glow with his warmth.

"Once this is over, the seishi shall come forth…to serve you and to aid the summoning."

"They're all here?" I asked, not believing that my work had been cut off for me. He smiled as he shook his head.

"No. But we will find them." He said optimistically as he turned me around to face the shrine and Suzaku within.

"It is time, Aredhel." I nodded mutely as I took in a heavy breath and took my first step towards the shrine.

I kept walking towards the shrine; the statue was looming ever closer. As I stepped over the threshold…

"Aredhel!"

I heard Hotohori's voice. But I could not turn back. My entire body seemed to have seized up. I realized something was not right. But I could see a huge bird…a phoenix in bright red and orange, swoop towards me with an eerie song. I screamed as I closed my eyes and then…

Everything went blank.

* * *

I opened my eyes to find something golden looming in front of me. I squinted to find myself staring straight into Hotohori's face who was gazing at me with a mixture of sadness and anxiety. I smiled weakly as I croaked,

"Hey there." My throat seemed to hurt. And now that I was properly awake, my whole body seemed to hurt. I looked around to find myself back in my room with another twenty people who were all staring at me. This wasn't part of the plan!

"All of you may leave." I heard him say, his voice commanding and demanding prompt action.

"But your majesty…your safety…she-" I heard one of his advisors speak…the one who had paled that day in my presence. But Hotohori did not let him finish. He had stood up and was now walking towards the man. I gaped at the emperor as he caught the advisor's collar and bodily pushed him out of the room and shut the door.

"Aredhel." He said, turning around to look at me…a calculating look…one that didn't go very well with his face.

"What's up?" I asked, smiling. But I knew something was wrong.

"Did Khutou declare war or something? Oh god! Then I have to hurry up on the summoning. And coming to the topic of summoning, what is it with Suzaku? The chicken sure has a weird sense of humor – one that isn't funny-"

I stopped abruptly seeing the expression he sported.

"What is it, Hotohori?" I asked slowly, half dreading what he was about to say. There was silence for a while as he looked at me and I stared back, my hands unconsciously twisting the satin blanket in my hand.

He suddenly swooped down and hugged me, a tight hug, as though he were afraid to let go.

"Er…emperor. What is going on?" I asked uncertainly as his fingers gently threaded their way through my hair, making me feel weak at the knees (even when I was sitting on the bed).

He drew away from the embrace a little, his hands still around me, as he surveyed me with sad and anxious eyes. I knew I shouldn't have but I smiled amused.

"Let me guess…I'm gonna die?" I asked jestingly. His eyes widened as he hugged me again,

"Don't ever say things like that, Aredhel." He said as he kissed my shoulder before presuming his hug. I did not know what was going on and this definitely unsettled me. I broke away from the hug as I frowned at him. He looked at me with a sad smile as he held my hands in his.

"Marry me, Aredhel."

_WHAT!!_

"What?" I choked as I stared at the man in front of me. His hold on my hand tightened warmly as he kissed my knuckles.

"I am asking you this with all my heart, Aredhel. Will you not consent to wed me and be my empress?" I withdrew my hand from his grasp as I felt my mind reel.

"Now wait just a minute!" I almost squeaked as I withdrew a little into the bed, away from him. His eyes saddened a little more at this.

"What the hell is the matter with you? You ask me to enter the darn shrine and then I faint and then you ask me to marry you! MIND EXPLAINING?"

I took deep breaths trying to control myself from shouting my head off. There was only so much that I could take.

"What is the matter, Hotohori? What are you hiding from me?" I asked him, my voice dead serious. He sighed as he caught my hand in his once more. I pulled it out of his grasp as I pressed on,

"I am waiting." He frowned at me and growled a little.

"I want to save your life." I stared at him now.

_Save my life? As in my life was in serious danger?_

"What do you mean?" I croaked as he folded back some of the hair that had fallen into my face.

"Aredhel…when you stepped into the shrine…did you feel anything?" I frowned at the question.

"Well…it felt weird. As though I was intruding into something holy and pure…where I shouldn't be. You know…" I trailed away as I looked up to find astonishment in his eyes.

"And so I was right."

"Er Hotohori, I am still in the dark if you're wondering." I said a little irritated. He started as he turned to me and shook his head.

"We saw you being enfolded in a blinding blue light." I frowned even more.

"So? What's the big deal? What does it mean?"

"Aredhel…my ministers will find many ways to kill you…to be done with you. I am hurt to say this."

"WHAT!! Why?" this was getting weirder by the minute.

"Suzaku is the guardian deity of Khonan. He is a red phoenix." His voice was controlled. Yet I found a slight tremor in his voice. Something worried him immensely. Was it me?

"So, what's the problem? Why should that cause your ministers to switch to 'Psycho' mode?" I asked totally confused.

"Aredhel…there is a guardian deity for Khutou as well. You see…the guardian deity of Khutou is…Seiryuu. He is a _blue _dragon."

I heard some weird drumming in my ears. It took me a few moments to realize it was my heart.

_So…I am the priestess of Seiryuu who is the guardian deity of Khutou which is after Khonan. GREAT!!_

There was silence again as I stared at my hands that were now on the silken coverlet, trembling slightly. There was silence for a long while…when neither of us spoke anything.

"So…" I said finally, my voice was small and weak. But I knew he listened.

"So…that means…we're like foes at present?" I asked, my confused thoughts clearly giving me a headache. I felt his hand clasp mine in his grasp gently.

"Aredhel…"

"You said I would call forth for my sacred warriors…that I was connected to them by a strong bond…connected to you by a strong bond. But that is not it, is it? This is the reason why I couldn't enter the shrine. This is why the Suzaku warriors aren't here at present. It's because I am _not _the Suzaku no Miko. Right?" my voice trembled as I clasped at his hand fiercely. I was going to cry. There was a limit to how much I could take and this was a straw too much.

"Aredhel…"

I looked up to glare at m him.

"You didn't feel the connection. Did you?" he remained silent.

"Even then…why…"

He lowered his eyes as he sighed.

"I don't know. But know this Aredhel that I still hold you in the greatest of esteem. And that you shall have to fear no one for as long as I am here. Is this clear?" he asked gently as he moved to sit beside me on the bed. I merely nodded as I bit my lip in an effort not to cry.

"Hotohori..."

"This is why I ask you to marry me. My ministers would not dare hurt the empress."

I shook my head as I pulled my hand out of his grasp.

"Aredhel-"

"No Hotohori. This is not the answer." I frowned at the coverlet as I felt my vision blur with tears.

"I guess…but Aredhel, I still esteem your affections. And I hope you shall give me an answer soon. Know that I still love you." His voice was soft and gentle.

I nodded as I hastily wiped my tears away and looked up to smile at him.

"But I still need time…and I am not about to marry you right away even if…by a freaky probability, I might consent to…er…like you in that way…Okay buddy?" I said, slowly getting back to 'normalsville'.

He tried his level best not to roll his eyes. I laughed though somewhere deep inside; there was a tinge of disappointment.

_So…this is it isn't it? It was never meant to be…was it?_

"And…" he seemed hesitant.

"And?" I echoed, looking at the obviously flushed emperor. He looked up and smiled at me.

"There is another important thing…The emissaries from Khutou will be arriving in a week or so…I don't want you to be seen by them."

"That could complicate the issue…right?" he nodded as he sighed. I smiled as I slowly ran my fingers through his hair, surprising him. He looked up at me and returned my smile.

"I'll try not to be seen, emperor." He smiled as he gently took my hand from his head and placed a feather kiss on my palm.

"Thank you, Aredhel." I smiled as I nodded. He stood up from my side and giving me a slight bow, walked to the door. Just when he was about to leave,

"Hotohori!" he stopped mid-way opening the door and turned to look at me, his eyebrow rose in question. There were a lot of questions in my mind at that moment but,

"See you later."

He smiled as he nodded and with another 'good day' thrown in, he left the room.

* * *

The next few days were really subdued. The emperor couldn't drop in often and it seemed like I was being watched wherever I went which made me spend the most of my time in my room where I still had few of the friends who still seemed to trust me.

"Would you like a bath, lady Aredhel?" I shook my head as I flicked over the page I was reading, humming to myself. It was surprising how Lin seemed unaffected by the shocking news that I was actually the Seiryuu no Miko. I had been a wreck mentally when I had heard.

_Go Lin! _I smiled as I gazed at the pages blankly.

"How about a snack?" I looked up from my book. (I knew it now that I would probably never return before my exams.) I smiled at the girl as I shook my head. She sat down on the chair beside my bed on which I lay.

"Lady Aredhel…" she twisted the hems of her sash as she looked down at her lap.

"What is it Lin?" I asked gently, closing the book and laying it aside.

"They say you are the Seiryuu no Miko and that you were sent here to destroy Khonan. I know you will not do that." I was shocked.

_She knew I wouldn't?_

There was silence when she looked up at me, earnestness shining in her doe eyes.

"How do you know, Lin? For all you know I could be acting." I asked her quietly as I studied the girl before me. She smiled…a wise smile.

"If you're acting milady…then you're quite good at it. I have worked in the Harem before I was sent to serve you…and the treatment wasn't always cordial." She said, smiling. I was touched.

"Thanks Lin. I'll definitely try my best not let you down." She nodded getting up and proceeding to the vases to change the flowers. Just then it struck me. I hardly knew anything about her.

"Lin…" she turned around with a geranium in her hand.

"Tell me about yourself." She raised an eyebrow.

"About myself milady?" I nodded. She turned around to place the geraniums into the vase.

"What would you like to know?" I smiled as I walked towards her and seated myself on the table, facing her.

"Your family, your friends, and the boy you have a crush on…anything." She laughed as she shook her head.

"I haven't a man in mind in that light…yet." She blushed as she started placing lilies into a water filled ceramic basin at the foot of my bed.

"My mother passed away a few years back." She said silently as she placed another white lily into the water.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Oh it's nothing. From the way she suffered from the pain…I think she would have welcomed death." The way she said…it was as though she had come to terms with the passing away of her mother…as though that ordeal had made her wise beyond her years.

"And then there's little Tang. He is my younger brother. Father has high hopes for him. He is preparing for the civil service. And I pray he makes it." I smiled at the way her eyes lighted up with her hopes and wishes. And to think that war from Khutou could change it all…

"I am sure your brother will excel in anything he does, Lin." She smiled.

"He is a very hard worker. And I am sure moving into the capital would have done him and father good. Father has started a small shop in the market. He sells trinkets."

"That's nice to hear." She stood up having arranged the flowers.

"Is there anything you would like to know more, milady?" I shook my head as I squatted beside the basin to gaze at the lilies.

"You're a nice girl, Lin. I'll pray for you and all the people." I said meditatively, turning to her.

She smiled as she nodded and with an awkward bow, walked away to God knew where.

I sighed as I walked to my table and took up the book once more and started reading through the literature. An hour must have passed or it could have been a minute I didn't know… The author surely knew how to make differentiation seem interesting. YAWN!!

My eyes closed involuntarily as I felt my eyelids weigh down with sleep. Okay…a little nap won't hurt.

I let the book fall down from my clasp and feeling too lazy to replace the fallen tome back in my bag, I closed my eyes as sleep came over me.

"Milady! You have to wake up!" the hands jolted me to consciousness as effectively as a bucket of cold water. I looked around, frowning at the air around me as I tried to orient myself.

"Milady?" I looked up to find Lin stand there, her face excited and flushed.

_Did somebody propose to her or what!_

"You will not believe what I have to say to you, lady Aredhel!" she breathed as she clasped her sleeves again.

"Er…they just discovered Gravity?" I asked stupidly earning a bemused stare from her. I sighed as I shook my head. Her smile fell back in place as she sat down on the chair and clasped my hands in hers.

"There are rumors that another maiden in weird attire was seen in the city and that she was inside the dungeons for trying to assault the emperor and now is speaking with the emperor and his council at this very moment. It is rumored that she might be the priestess of Suzaku."

I nodded dazed, as I tried to take in what was being said to me. Then it struck me.

"The Priestess of Suzaku? Here? From another world?" Lin nodded earnestly as she helped me get up. I wanted to see this maiden. If she was from my world, then maybe she would know how to get back there. Maybe she knew me. Maybe she was Natalie.

As though on cue, there was a rap on the door. Lin rushed to open it and a moment later reappeared with a prim and 'servant like' face,

"The emperor wishes to see you, milady." She then turned to the door where two armed guards were standing in attention. I gulped. Did he intend to throw me into the dungeons now that the priestess of Suzaku was here? But I followed the guards, ten minutes later nonetheless.

When we arrived at the doors beyond which, I was told the emperor waited for me, I felt a little relieved. They weren't going to throw me into the dungeons – yet. I tapped at the door only to be told to come in. Breathing deeply to steady my nerves, I opened the door to find Hotohori sitting in a chair with another girl standing there, looking at me, her hazel eyes surprised.

Returning the smile I got from Hotohori, I walked towards him and bowed down before the emperor. He returned the bow as he motioned to a chair beside him and having made sure the girl in front of us was also made comfortable, he turned to me.

"Lady Aredhel, this is Miaka Yuuki. She has consented to be the priestess of Suzaku." Nodding at the emperor I turned to smile at Miaka. She smiled back readily. Maybe she was not that bad! And she wasn't clearly Natalie. She was wearing what looked like a modern school uniform I had seen on many girls in Tokyo. And she also looked Japanese.

"Er…are you from here? I mean I'm sorry but you hardly look like the people here." She blurted out before clapping her hands over her mouth and went silent. I smiled as I tried my level best not to giggle.

"I am sure his majesty will have an answer for your questions." Hotohori smiled at this juncture and nodded.

"She is from your world as well, lady Miaka. The purpose of her being here, I will explain in detail when the time is deemed fit."

Now he turned to me.

"I am also pleased to inform you that we have met another seishi of Suzaku. He is known as Tamahome. It looks like he's not here at present. Mayhap we can meet sometime later?"

He must have seen my astonished and bemused glance for he smiled apologetically and said,

"I will explain the circumstances in which we met later perhaps. You seem tired. You need to rest. Maybe she can have a room next to yours, lady Aredhel?"

I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted to place two birds in one cage so that we would befriend each other and perhaps feel less lonely. I smiled at him as I nodded at Miaka.

"I'm sure we're going to get along like a house on fire." He raised an eyebrow at my idiom but smiled.

"So I shall leave you two ladies to get to know each other. Mayhap we can commune once more for dinner?"

"That is a wonderful idea, your majesty." we bowed to each other and he moved towards the door.

"Are you two married or something?" he stopped abruptly and turned around to stare at Miaka who had chosen that moment to blurt out one of her queries. I fought hard to tone down the blushing as I smiled at the emperor in what I thought was an amused grin. But he merely smiled gently at Miaka as he said,

"Not as of yet." With that he left the room leaving a flabbergasted me with Miaka.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Okay…Miaka is finally here. And where is Tamahome? And will the emperor ever learn that marshmallows can sometimes give you tooth decay? (Excuse the last part…I'm high on sugar right now.)

So to learn the answers, review away brethren!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	7. Head colds and Hot blondes

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Nope! I still don't own it. Maybe someday I'll be stinking rich and then, I'll buy the rights to own Fushigi Yuugi and then I can say I own Hotohori! MWAHAHAHA! (Ahem) Excuse me.

**Author's Note:**

I'm late again ne? College's started and the new professors are being really mean! I mean assignments on the first week?! sniff Oh well... nothing I can do! But here's the next chappie people! And please excuse me if the updates are a little late... I think I can manage an update a week. Good enough ne? ;;

I'd like to thank the following reviewers...

**Karina: **Thanks for the review! And yep! Leave it to Miaka to bring forth the difficult questions! ;)

**Sophia21:** Thanks for the glowing review! And is it going to be a Nakago-Aredhel pairing? Hmmm... I wonder! mysterious smile

**kt: **Thank you! And hope I didn't make you wait for too long there! ;)

**luciana: **Hmmm... Not many people like Miaka eh? LOL poor girl! But well... she IS the SUzaku no Miko afterall... No helping it! :D

**Hikitsulover-818: **Well.. I guess all guys withtheir names starting with 'H' are kinda hot. And hope you like this chapter! :D

And I also thank all those ghost readers out there who've read this story and have thought... not bad! Love you guys! Mmmmmuah!

On with the story, folks!

* * *

**Note to self No.7:**

**Head colds can lead to meeting hot and prophetic blondes.**

The next morning saw me with a slight head-cold. I knew it had something to do with the really long bath I had last night where I lay on the bath tub, mulling over his words. I did not doubt the emperor and his 'affections'. But from what he said…he had been in love with the Suzaku no Miko. But I wasn't the Suzaku no Miko anymore. And to add to the situation's obvious awkwardness, I could…wait, I _was_ the Seiryuu no Miko.

I sniffed as I felt my nose clog over with the heaviness of cold.

"Good morning, lady Aredhel!" Lin chirped as she walked into my room. One look at me and she shrieked!

"Milady! What happened? You look terrible!" I smiled or at least tried to. This headache was making pleasantries a very painful thing at the moment.

"I think I have a cold." I said my voice thick. This statement was further punctuated by a sneeze. Well…I was kind of allergic to dust. But the palace was cleaner than my place. So I knew that this sneeze could only mean one thing – I was coming down with a massive head cold.

"You should lie down, milady." Her voice sounded weird…as though she was underwater or something. I nodded weakly and buried myself in the soft coverlets. Was it just me or was the day getting chilly?

I felt her hand on my forehead as Lin felt my temperature.

"You're definitely hot."

"Thanks Lin. Haven't heard a guy tell that to me yet." I quipped only to have her laugh gently.

"Seriously milady! You shouldn't joke about like this! You might tire yourself. I shall call for the healer immediately." she had already walked off.

_I told you to put the darn tablets in the pouch, didn't I? Now look who's suffering!_

I closed my eyes as my conscience scolded me. How was I supposed to know I would get a cold from ancient china? I hoped this wasn't some strange strain of disease that had no cure. I was in a time when most ailments were incurable.

"Aredhel!" the door banged open. I started to consciousness (rather painfully) to find a worried emperor standing there, his entire battalion of ministers behind him.

_Oh great! This is exactly what I want! Lin you idiot!_

"How are you feeling now?" he whispered as he felt my forehead just like Lin. But this time, I knew I'd feel hotter. His fingers seemed to warm my skin to tingling delight.

"I'm fine, emperor. Don't worry." My voice was a little raspy. Hotohori decided that it was an indication of how serious my illness was and immediately declared that all his appointments for the day, be canceled and he be left alone.

The looks on the faces of his ministers were hilarious. They were glaring at me with a 'Seiryuu-no-Miko-enchanted-our-emperor-out-of-his-wits' look. And hadn't I been so sick, I would have laughed at the incredulity of the whole situation.

"Aredhel…" I smiled at the emperor as I shook my head.

"You'll go and attend your duties for the day, your majesty. And I don't want to be the reason for you to miss one day's worth of duties. It's just a little cold. I'll be just fine." I held his hand that was caressing my forehead and removed it gently. He looked at this with a tinge of disappointment.

"Aredhel-"

"I'll be fine. Trust me." I smiled at him. His smile was a little reluctant. But he got up from where he sat nonetheless and with a final caress to my palm as a sign of temporary farewell; he walked out of the room followed by the council of ministers who did not refrain from fixing me with a suspicious glare. I smiled weakly at them and they left.

When I was alone once more, I looked around to find Lin stand there with a cup of some sorts in her hand. From the way she stirred it, I knew it contained the medicine and when she handed it over to me, I gingerly tasted it only to splutter and cough.

"Lin!" I exclaimed, finally able to string syllables together to make coherent sentences.

"What in the name of God is this?" I asked with a final cough added to the end of my query for a dramatic effect.

"That is the best remedy for a head cold milady. It will make you better in no time." Closing my eyes, I downed the entire thing into my mouth and hastily swallowed it. I looked down the cup to find the dregs of the medicine still there. I closed my eyes at the sight of something slimy and handed the cup back to her.

"Thanks, Lin."

"You are most welcome, milady." Her voice sounded amused and I had to admit. In the end, all of this was extremely hilarious. I smiled at her as she mothered me to lie down and rest.

"Now you shall rest and do nothing that can affect your weak state. Do I make myself clear?"

I smiled weakly as I nodded.

_Aye! Aye! Captain!_

* * *

The whole day seemed to drag on as I lay on my bed with Lin acting as my nurse. Miaka had come to visit me in the late morning and with an apology for having slept late and for not having visited me earlier, she went her merry way with wishes for my speedy recovery.

Lin had only closed the door after Miaka when there was another knock. The door opened once more to reveal Hotohori followed by Miaka and a young man with dark hair and grey eyes in common clothing and a smile on his face.

"Hi again!" Miaka quipped as she sat down on the chair beside my bed. I looked from her to Hotohori to the young man.

"Ooookay…" I dragged on. Hotohori's smile widened as he walked to sit beside me on the bed.

"I am pleased to introduce Tamahome to you, Aredhel." I nodded remembering that Tamahome was one of the seven sacred warriors of Suzaku. I smiled at him to have him smile back at me and bow a little. I turned to Hotohori,

"So you still have to find only five more." he nodded, happy no doubt. Miaka was also smiling, happy no doubt and Tamahome was smiling, happy no doubt!

But I felt a weird squirming in my stomach as I saw the three of them stand there, smiling. I was an alien in this happiness they were sharing. I was the Seiryuu no Miko. One part of me still wanted to believe in the possibility that probably I wasn't the 'Seiryuu no Miko'…that I had just broken all laws of Relativistic Physics and traveled faster than light and ended up in the past. Maybe my presence was an anomaly in science. Einstein would probably freak out if he found out. I smiled at my weak attempt of humor. But hadn't Hotohori explicitly mentioned that he (and his entire court) saw me being engulfed in a blue light and that blue was Seiryuu's favorite colour?

_Well…at least the dragon had a sense of colour. _

And that weird man I met in the library. I wondered who he was. Was he one of my seishi? When had I decided to call people my seishi? And there could be the Seiryuu seishi out there searching for their Miko who incidentally happened to have a head cold and was now chatting with the emperor of Khonan and the Suzaku no Miko and her fellow warriors. I hoped they wouldn't call me blasphemous…and then there was this entire issue about envoys from Khutou.

It surprised me I was still sane with so many insane things going on in my life. I sighed only to have Hotohori look at me with concern etched in his caramel eyes.

"You must be tired, Aredhel. We shall let you rest for now." He said softly as he caressed my cheek once more. I smiled as I nodded to him and the other people in the room. Tamahome was smiling at me in a friendly fashion. I wondered if he would still be friendly when he found out that I was actually the Seiryuu no Miko. I closed my eyes at that thought and decided that as long as he didn't run after me with a sword, it was fine.

* * *

The envoys from Khutou arrived on schedule and it was pathetic seeing Hotohori during those times between meetings when he would sneak out of the conference room into mine to pour out his troubles for me and Miaka to hear.

He had been advised by his ministers not to reveal that the Suzaku no Miko had indeed arrived and he was further warned not to show as though he knew I even existed.

"They have sent their general for talks. Isn't that an intimidating move?" He had ranted and all I could do was pat his back in what I thought was a sympathetic gesture.

One such night, exactly the day after the 'terrorists' (according to Hotohori's ministers) landed from Khutou, I found Hotohori looking so tired and anxious as he walked past my way that I couldn't help but pull him into my room by his collar.

He was startled and was armed by the time I released him.

"Whoa emperor!" I called out, raising my hands in a sign of non-violence (or to protect my face if he did lash out.)

He sighed relieved as he sheathed his sword and glared at me. I smiled as I gestured to one of the chairs and with the faintest flicker of confusion, he seated himself.

I knelt in front of him and placing my hands on the arms of the chair, stared at him in a critical fashion.

"Okay emperor. Who kicked the bucket?" he raised his almighty eyebrow and that was all that it took to make my heart beat fast.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked bemused, no doubt. I smiled as I shook my head, my hair bobbing around in the ponytail I had constricted it into.

"Why do you look like you're some healer about to tell a patient that he's gonna die?" he cleared his throat at this and fixed me with a dignified frown which he thought would put me in my rightful place. Had he done this a few weeks back, I would have probably thought I was doomed for execution. But now…I smiled as I gently caressed his cheek.

"You're in a soup, aren't you, Hori?"

"Now what is that name you're calling me with?" he asked in an aggravated tone. I laughed lightly as he caught my hand and placed a kiss on it.

"It's short for Hotohori. I kinda like it. Don't you think it's cute? And moreover…it's got only two syllables!" I said, wriggling my nose as I caught his cheek and gently pulled at it. He smiled at this gesture and pinched my cheek gently.

"You are a weird woman, Aredhel. But I like you for it!" I squirmed a little as I released my hand from his. His brow rose in question once more.

_'Love' had become 'like'. I guess he was in love with the Suzaku no Miko…and still is…_

"Tell me about the meeting." He sighed as he shrugged.

"I think one of them…the general is a Seiryuu seishi." He stopped to observe my reaction and for good reason. I was staring at him shell-shocked.

"Aredhel?" I started as I turned to gaze at the emperor before me.

"A Seiryuu seishi?" I echoed. He nodded before continuing.

"And he suspects something…but personally I don't think he is the Seiryuu seishi. If he was, he would have drawn you towards him immediately. The connection works both ways you know…" he stopped abruptly.

"You haven't felt any weird ki drawing you closer to someone lately have you?"

I stared blankly at the emperor. Ki? Being drawn? Okay…now he thought I was the radar for freak-dom? I shook my head as I tried to remember if I had followed any stranger like a zombie. Nope. Nothing like _that_ ever happened._Yet…_

He smiled as he patted my head.

"Well then that could only mean that he is not a Seiryuu seishi…but then he could hide his ki…but…then why would he do that if he wanted to attract you towards him? Or he could be sensing yours... That could... Hmm…" he went muttering to himself as he sat there, his brows furrowing in thought. I sighed as I shook my head.

"Hori…Hori!" he started as he turned to regard me as though he was only recently aware that I had been with him all this time.

"Hori, what is it?" his anxiousness melted away instantaneously as he smiled and shook his head.

"Nothing Aredhel. Well…I shall leave for now. Sleep well." I smiled as I nodded. He had almost reached the door when he turned around and I felt strange under his scrutiny…as though he yearned for me to stay here…to be with him.

"If you were called…would you…" he stopped abruptly and he smiled.

"What is it emperor?"

"Nothing. Good night, Aredhel."

"Good night, Hori."

I smiled at the closing door and fell back to my bed. The general of Khutou? Hmm…this was weird! I sniffed a little as I stifled another sneeze. My head cold was coming back.

* * *

"And then…I beat up all of them…all by myself." I sighed. Tama-kins looked at me doubtfully.

"You don't believe me do you?"

"Tamahome…I didn't say I didn't, did I?" his face fell as he tried to figure out what I had just said. I couldn't take it anymore. His face bore an injured frown as he heard me laugh.

"Oh Tama-kins! That was hilarious."

"I was being very serious here, lady!" I shook my head as I tried to reply without laughing.

"Suuure!"

He huffed as he folded his arms across his chest and sat cross-legged from across me on my coverlets. Did I mention I was sick? Well…I was sick as a dog and now, it had been the good heartedness of Tamahome or Tama-kins as I called him, that he was here entertaining me with his stories.

It had been two days since we had met regularly and in this period, I learnt a lot about this stingy and sweet fellow. He had four other siblings and a very sick father to look after in some far off village (well, that explained his miserliness). And I also knew something that he did not. He was in love.

I had noticed yesterday when he had come to visit me for the second time. Miaka had decided to burst in just then…and his face changed…as though Christmas had come early as I bade Miaka stay and we enjoyed an hour of fun.

Right now, Tamahome was telling me about how he met Miaka.

"Let me get this straight…you asked her money?" I asked, unable to believe the man in front of me.

"Yep. But one look at her and I knew-"

"-that she was the one you were madly in love with?" I quipped, interrupting him. His cheeks flushed slightly as he turned to look at me, his eyes narrowed.

"And why would I love her? I mean…there are better women out there who've been waiting-"

"Yeah right, Tama-kins! I believe you." I interrupted him once more. His face now flushed into a deeper red and he got up from where he sat.

"Well seems like you're doing fine now."

I smiled as I nodded, "All thanks to Dr. Tama-kins of course!" he grinned as he mock-bowed in front of me.

"Well later!" he threw over his shoulder and with a final smile and wink, he walked out of my room. I smiled as I remembered our conversation. He was nice guy…just plain stingy! I laughed at that and startling a timid Lin with a hug, decided to take a walk in one of the gardens.

"But milady! You're sick….and the envoys…"

"Don't worry, Lin. I'm feeling much better and about the envoys, they're in the meeting with the emperor right now. Sure hope they're not grilling him there!"

She smiled as she nodded in acquiescence.

The gardens were very beautiful here and it was obvious that Hori loved them from the way they were so carefully tended to…

I sighed as I thought back to the conversation I had with the emperor last night and I felt a stab of guilt in my heart. He was going through all this unwanted trouble and anxiety only because I was here.

_Well…I blame the dragon for dropping me here!_

I frowned at that. If I was the Seiryuu no Miko, I had certain questions I wanted to grill Seiryuu with.

Stupid lizard!

I took a few steps towards the tall oak tree. The breeze was gentle this morning and somehow, it felt nice being outside in the gentle sunshine. I turned towards the palace rooms. Well, he surely was unlucky to be stuck inside with stuffy generals and ministers on a fine morn like this!

"The woods are lovely dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep.

And miles to go before I sleep

And miles to go before I sleep…"

"Those words are quite prophetic, you know." I started a little as I heard that new voice. It sounded like I was not alone here. I turned around to find another person standing under the same oak, only that he was on the other side.

The first thing that popped into my head as I saw that person was…HOT!

I smiled as I felt a blush creep up my cheek. A man, probably in his early twenties stood there, dressed in a casual white shirt that showed some of his well sculpted chest, and black pantaloons. The soft blonde hair that crowned his head glinted in the sun as he casually shifted some of the strands from his shoulder. He had blue eyes that seemed to read deeper into me. For a minute, I felt compelled to just gawk at this guy. And for some reason, he felt so out of place…

"I seem to have made quite an impression on you, milady!" I smiled embarrassed as I lowered my eyes to the ground and then raising them once more, found him smiling at me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare…it's just that…" his smile widened as he nodded…as though he got this kind of explanation all the time.

"I have some distinct and striking features, I believe?" his voice danced with bridled amusement. I smiled as I nodded.

"Hit the nail there, buddy!" I said, momentarily forgetting that this guy probably would take the term 'buddy' as insult. But he merely smiled as he nodded.

"May I be fortunate enough to know your name, milady?" he asked me.

"Aredhel." I replied, my eyes following his actions as he sat down onto the grass, his hand wreathing his knee in a simple and elegant manner. There was only one way I could explain it – royal! He looked up from where he sat,

"Why don't you sit down?" he pointed to the ground beside him and I nodded smiling as I sank to the ground beside him.

"Aredhel wasn't it? That's quite a strange name. Are you from Khonan?" I shook my head as I began,

"No. I'm not from here. You see-"I stopped abruptly. Hori had warned me about telling strangers about my real origins…I turned to look at the man beside me who was regarding this abrupt halt of sentence with a raised brow (and God! He looked hot when he did that!).

I smiled trying to cover the awkwardness with some cheer.

"I'm not from the capital. I come from a remote village. Quite close to the western lands. I don't know where my ancestors came from but I guess they came from some other country." I finished. He nodded though I hardly believed he bought that.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying the cover the silence that loomed between us with some sort of conversation.

"Many people call me many names." He said cryptically. I shot him with a bemused stare.

"Well…now _that _is a prophetic thing to say!"

The bellow of laughter that issued from him told me he wasn't offended. He shook his head as he tried to control his mirth. When he did quieten down a bit, he turned to me,

"I'm known as Lord Nakago to most people…but I would seriously appreciate it if you would call me Nakago." I nodded as I registered his name into my mind. It was almost like I had met this guy somewhere before. There was definitely some kind of vibe between us.

"Are you one of the emperor's advisors?" he stared at me with a penetrating stare before he replied,

"I'm in the army."

"Oh. I see. That could be why I didn't see you in the palace before. Are you one of the soldiers?"

"I'm a general." He stated simply.

I smiled as I nodded. "Tough job, huh?"

He smiled as he shrugged.

We spoke for some more time…from the trees around us to poverty. I was amazed as to how he seemed to have an opinion about most things. But he seemed to have just that! He hardly tried to sell me his ideas and I found this nice. Quite like Hotohori... they both hardly tried to push their ideas into me. As time flew around us, he finally rose from where he sat and helped me up as well.

"I believe you'll be missed, Aredhel. It is getting late."

"Sure, see you sometime, Nakago."

He smiled…a mysterious one which I returned with a simple one. Just as I was about to turn around and go,

"You have promises to keep and miles to go before you sleep, Aredhel. We shall meet again." I turned around to find him standing there, with the same mysterious smile on his face. I smiled weakly as I tried hard to hide my confusion and walked away without another backward glance.

_That_ had been cryptic.

* * *

** Author's Notes:**

TADA! Nakkie is here! YAY! I love Nakkie! (But Hori is my all time favorite!) Okay…so please do review away folks and tell me what you think. Until next update…see ya! And remember…sharks bite!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	8. The Harem is a scary place

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Nope! Nah…not yet. I'm gonna go to Valinor if you keep insisting on suing me! And you'll have the Valar to answer to! NYAH!

**Author's Note:** I'd like to thank the following reviewers!

**blessed bih: **Thanks for the review there! And what's in a name anyway! :D

**sophia21: **Thank you for the review! And hope you like the chapter!

**kt:** Really? Wow! LOL But somehow... I feel it's more philosophical than romantic ne? But hey... if a guy told me that, I'd be intrigued as well!

**luciana: **That's a really sweet thing to say! And yep! Nakago is here! jumps around in joy Ahem...hope you like this chapter!

**karina:** Thanks! :D Hope you like this chapter!

**hermonine:** Thank you! Hope you like this chapter as well!

* * *

**Note to self No.8:**

**The harem can be a _really _weird place.**

The moment I left the garden, I made a beeline for my room. There was something about that guy (apart from the fact that he was good looking). Lin was waiting for me in my room, ready with my bath. I smiled at her gratefully as she handed me the towels and helped me get the top layer of my robe off. As I was about to step into the bathroom,

"You look pale, milady. Aren't you well?" I started a little as I heard Lin's voice. Managing a smile, I shook my head. I was fine. It was just that a relative stranger was creeping me out. Lin returned my smile and went about, preparing my ensemble once more.

I sighed as I shook my head clear of all thoughts and stripping myself, settled into the blissfully warm waters. He had just quoted my lines back to me. That's all! There was no reason that I had to panic so much! But I had hardly seen a general like him in Hori's army when I was presented as the Suzaku no Miko. Maybe he was off to the borders. Khutou was planning an invasion after all!

An hour later, when I went back to get dressed, I was calmer and little ruddier in complexion (the warm bath had been a long one!). Donning a simple pale blue robe, I sat down in front of the mirror, allowing Lin to do my hair. She was going on about how the servants were being so inconsiderate towards the new recruits and how she did not approve of the cook's attitude towards the stable boys. But I hardly paid attention. I was still dwelling on his words.

_"You have promises to keep and miles to go before you sleep, Aredhel. We shall meet again."_

"Milady?" Lin was shaking me gently. I smiled at her reflection as I nodded. She had twisted my hair into a bun and was now securing the final ribbon in place. I sighed as I thought back on how two weeks ago; I had been a simple and relatively unnoticed person in my world. The world went on its own way not minding about my existence. But here…there were two groups…one desperate to hide that I existed here and another equally desperate to find me. I knew it was Hori's good and benevolent nature that I was still in a comfortable (luxurious) room with friends who did not glare at me with suspicion and _not _in a dingy dungeon.

Lin was the only friend apart from Hotohori to know that I was the Seiryuu no Miko. Would Tamahome still visit me and laugh with me if he knew I was the Seiryuu no Miko? I shuddered when I thought that I was supposed to summon a god whose country was so hell bent on destruction.

"Milady seems miles away." Lin commented gently as she stood back, having completed doing my hair. My smile was a distracted one as I shook my head.

"No. I was just thinking." She smiled at this.

"You do think a lot!"

"Maybe that's why I'm always in trouble." Before she could reply to that, I got up and with a peck onto Lin's cheek, walked out of my room. I had to find Hotohori right away and talk to him about this matter.

* * *

The meeting was perhaps over. Hotohori was standing in front of his room, blissfully free from his ministers and envoys and was rubbing his shoulders apparently enjoying the release of tension.

I was about to call out to him when I saw Nakago walk towards him, a smirk on his face. My face blanched a little as I hid myself away from view. From where I stood, I could hear their conversation clearly.

"Good afternoon general." It was evident from his voice that Hotohori didn't seem really enthusiastic about this meeting.

"Good afternoon to you too, your majesty." his voice seemed so in control…as though he spoke to a subordinate. This was the first time I had heard a General speak with his emperor this way…

"You weren't in the meeting."

"I wasn't feeling very well…" he stopped. I craned my neck a little to find Nakago standing there in blue armour. For some reason, I no longer thought of him as Hotohori's General. As I gazed at him, I felt his blue eyes resting on me once. I immediately fell back, away from his gaze.

_Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!!_

"Your gardens are well kept." Oh god! He was going to bring me into their conversation.

"Thank you." Hotohori's voice sounded as though he wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Well, I think we desire to rest now."

"Sure, highness." Nakago seemed to have relented and there was silence as the footsteps grew fainter and fainter. I peeked out of my corner to find Hotohori's back facing me…he was staring into the distance probably lost in thought. I sighed as I walked towards him, careful not to make any noise. I was close enough to smell in his scent when…

"OW!" I squirmed as he turned around and I felt him hug me around the waist and lift me from the ground. There were sounds of laughter as he set me back onto the ground.

"That was uncalled for." I scowled at the laughing emperor as he shook his head, trying to control his mirth. My glare melted away as I saw him laugh. It was a beautiful sound. His laughter seemed so genuine…as though he really enjoyed the joke (that was played on me!) and that he was laughing in such a manner after a long time. I smiled as I hit his arm painfully (for me) only to have him catch my hand and kiss it.

"Thank you, Aredhel. You always seem to have a way of lessening the tension around." His voice had returned to the deep drawl that seemed to make me tingle. I smiled though I felt my ears heat up in a blush and nodded.

"And increasing it when your ministers are around, mind you." he laughed again.

Whatever I had wanted to tell him, I forgot on seeing his happiness. I did not want to disrupt this emotion with news that I had met with the general from Khutou…it wasn't important…not in comparison to this moment.

"You had something you wanted to tell me, Aredhel?" his voice had turned a bit serious. I smiled.

"No. Not at present. But how about I give his majesty some company for dinner tonight?" his face brightened up.

"And we gracefully accept." He bowed a little making me laugh.

"You're something, Hori. You know that?" he coughed lightly as he straightened his collar,

"And that, milady is not my doing."

"Narcissist!" I laughed.

"Anything else, Aredhel?" he asked, holding the door to his room open now. Surprisingly there weren't any guards.

"No. Nothing much. See you, Hori." I turned around, intending to leave only to have him pull me back by my hand and placing his lips on mine, shocking me completely.

As he released my lips, his smile returned…gentle and yet so persuasive.

"See you at dinner, Aredhel."

He walked into his room, leaving me on the corridors with cheeks that were about to explode because of excess blood circulation and a goofy grin.

_He's actually making me blush! _

I felt the blush deepen as I shook my head and turned back, to my room. I had a dinner to look up to.

* * *

"The dinner is ages away, Lin." I said trying to persuade my maid away from the discussion we were having quite seriously. The dress that I should wear for dinner.

"Oh no! You must make an impression, milady. And I must help you do that." I smiled at the feverishly eager look that she sported. I frowned as I pondered around…as though in deep thought but in reality trying my level best not to laugh.

"How about going in my bath linen? That will make an impression! Or perhaps-"

"Milady!" she cut me short with a scandalized look. I laughed unable to take it anymore.

"I was kidding, my dearest! I won't go in my bath linen. Okay?" she smiled as she shook her head.

"You are something, milady."

_Hey didn't I just say that to Hori?_

I smiled as I merely shrugged.

Getting up from where I sat,

"I think I'll go for a walk. Care to join me, Lin? How about we scourge the library?" she shook her head as she threw open my wardrobe. I knew what she was going to do. Fit my ensemble. I rolled my eyes heavenwards as I turned back towards the corridor.

Ten minutes later, I stood outside the palace in another garden that I hadn't visited before and looking around to make sure if Nakago was here, I sank down onto the grass, careful not to seem so unlady-like in the court dress that I was wearing. The yellow of my gown was in a mellowed down tone and it seemed to go well with the crème under-robe whose sleeves peeked out from beneath the golden embroideries.

I was tracing the design of the plum blossom in my sleeve when,

"Hey, you there!" I turned around to find myself in the presence of one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

She was frowning at me as she traipsed towards me in a pale pink silken gown with a grace I knew I hardly possessed. I stood up from where I sat and smiled at her. She stopped in front of me throwing some of her dark hair behind her. Her hair was in one of the weirdest colour I had seen. It was a deep purple…and some strands glinted with a lighter shade as she stepped out into the sunlight. Her frown relaxed for a moment only to fall back in place.

"Are you from the harem?"

I merely shook my head. No I wasn't from the harem.

"I thought so. I have never seen you here before. This place is prohibited for people from the outside. Now go lest you desire punishment from the emperor!" She scolded. I merely smiled.

"I don't think the emperor will mind me being here actually…you see-" her eyes grew a little wider...

"Wait a moment! Aren't you the first girl to drop from the skies? The one who arrived as a messenger of the Suzaku no Miko?"

_Messenger of the Suzaku no Miko? Me? Okay…_

Hotohori was really good at this cover-up thing. I smiled as I nodded, playing along. I had been expecting a more welcome gesture from the woman but she merely turned her nose up into the air and with a look of contempt, turned around and proceeded to walk away. It took me a while to orient myself to what was happening here.

"Hey wait up!" I yelled after her as I ran after her (the skirt was making it a hard thing to do). She stopped as I caught up with her and turned around to stare at me coldly.

"I am sorry if I did not bow before you when you came." She bowed stiffly and then took off again.

"It's okay – hey wait!" I caught her hand only to have her jerk her hand away from me. What was wrong with this girl? I wondered if I had killed her in her previous birth.

"I don't think we have met before…but you don't seem too happy to see me. And it's making me curious as to how you're so cold to me when we've just met."

She sighed affectedly as she shook her head.

"You…of all people will not understand."

Ooookay…

She turned to gaze at the eastern towers of the palace to our right.

"Have you any idea how we have felt…seeing the emperor gallivant about with you…laugh and play about with you…hearing rumors that he was actually going to wed you? When we have sacrificed everything we have to be here…to try and win his affections?" her violet eyes shone with what seemed like fury. I was taken aback. I hardly believed the fact that a person who had hardly met me could hate me so much...

"And to add insult to our injuries…you're not even pretty!"

It took me a moment to actually register her laments. I knew I wouldn't be crowned 'Miss. World' anytime soon. But to be called 'ugly' would be too far-fetched. I considered myself an intellectual beauty – one whose beauty came from the knowledge and (ahem.) wisdom I possessed.

She huffed again,

"You wouldn't have caught the emperor's eye had you not been the messenger of the priestess!"

This set me thinking. I wondered if Hotohori would have noticed me if I had been a normal person in this world. Hmm...

"I don't think I would like to talk to you anymore… now, good riddance!" she sniffed as she walked away leaving me to stand there and gape at her back as she walked farther and farther away.

"What did I do?" I pondered weakly when I was alone. Though I was feeling bad and a bit hurt, it was comical. I, Aredhel who never had a boyfriend or who wasn't even considered for a safety date in all the years of my life was suddenly the object of the jealousy of a palace full of beauties beyond my wildest comprehensions!

_Er…way to go, Aredhel?_

I sighed as I shook my head. And I hadn't even accepted his proposal yet…wait! Was he still into it? Did he still love me like he said he did? Now that I was actually the 'Seiryuu no Miko', I was feeling a bit uneasy…this was all so darn confusing!

"Life's getting complicated darn it!" I said loudly, only to hear soft laughter from behind me. Turning around, I found myself in front of a guy who was dressed like one of Hotohori's ministers. His head was shaven and though he was smiling, I felt a bit apprehensive on being caught in the act of thinking out loud.

His smile widened as I stared at him. Bowing a little, he fixed me with his beady eyes.

"I find it a great privilege to be at your acquaintance at last, milady. I, Gentokuin am glad to meet you." I raised an eyebrow at this. He was surely the one for flowery speeches! Though I smiled nonetheless.

"Glad to meet you too?" his smile widened.

"You…you are the one who has appeared and it seems like many of my unfailing calculations are going to have to be recalculated…hmmm…" he took a step towards me and I instinctively took a step back. He stopped and laughed. Though this time, it didn't feel funny at all!

"We shall have to meet again…priestess." He said in a whisper. There was something wrong about this guy…was he one of my seishi or something? Were all my seishi this ugly? I frowned at him as I shook my head… there was one thing I was definitely _not _going to do and that was spend time talking with this guy.

"I need to go now." I said hastily as I curtsied slightly and turning around not waiting for his reply, literally ran till I could make out the familiar corridors that I knew were close to my room.

Hotohori was right about one thing…I knew why he didn't visit the harem at all.

There was something about that guy.

"Milady has finished scourging the library so fast?" I started to find Lin standing in front of my room, having just opened the door, perhaps to go out. I shook my head absently as I walked in. She had indeed put together a dress for the dinner. A dress in the palest white heavily brocaded with silver threads. The white layer below this had gauzy sleeves that would be visible as the brocaded vest was sleeveless.

I smiled at Lin as she went on about how she would have dresses made for me (it had been long since I gave the post of my designer and stylist to Lin).

"And then we could probably go for raw silk next time…in the palest of pinks! It will be beautiful!" she stopped abruptly to stare at me before her brows knit together in worry.

"Milady is upset over something?" my smile fell a little as I looked down at my hands.

"I chanced upon the harem." I said. She probably understood what I meant and sighed.

"Did somebody say something, my lady?"

"Well…almost every girl there hates me." the sarcasm in my voice just wouldn't go.

"Not all of them are bad! You cannot say all of them hate you. I am sure there'll be some women there who don't."

I smiled, "I said 'almost' Lin." She rolled her eyes as she took the dress to hang it up in the wardrobe.

"And I also met this weird guy…he was short, bald and had the beadiest eyes I've ever seen."

She turned around to stare at me, probably trying to place a name to the face I was describing.

"What was his name?"

"It was a funny one…let me see…I think it went something like Genkituin? Gentukien? Gen-"

"Gentokuin?" she interrupted me.

"Yes! That's it. Gentokuin. That was his name." Lin now strode towards me,

"You will have to be careful with him, milady. They say he's a sorcerer. He is responsible for the ladies in the harem. He brings the most beautiful women from around the country." So that was why there was a guy in the harem…and Gentokuin was a sorcerer?

"What do you mean by sorcerer?" I was having mental pictures of Gentokuin in a 'Dumbledore-ian' outfit and shuddered. J.K.Rowling would sue me for that thought!

"Some say he is an expert in hypnotizing people and that to cross his path wouldn't be the wisest thing to do." She sounded like some little girl describing the monster from her grandmother's story.

"Okay…he said he wanted to talk to me." Lin frowned at this.

"Why does he want to talk to you? I mean…being in charge of the harem would mean that he wasn't one of the ministers in his majesty's council… Then he would have no way of knowing that you weren't the Suzaku no Miko…but then he is a sorcerer…I guess that means..." Her voice trailed away as she stood there thinking to herself.

"Lin…Lin! LIN!" she started as she smiled at me.

"I am sorry. I don't think there is much to worry there, milady. From what I have heard…almost everything about Gentokuin was a rumor. I'm sure he is just an old man who is interested in perhaps talking to you. Suzaku no Miko or not, you are from another world after all!"

I nodded, truly wanting to believe that. But for some reason, I knew there was more to that fellow.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And Nuriko has made her entry... well not technically but what the heck! And Gentokuin enters the scene as well! As those who have read 'Suzaku hi Den' (Hotohori's novel) would know, Gentokuin and Tendou do play an important role in Hotohori's life and since he's one of the important characters in this story, I thought we wouldn't leave them out.

Do tell me what you think. Review and help me improve.

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	9. When it rains trouble – it pours pagodas

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Author's Note:** I know! I know! I've been late at updating! But... College's driving me crazy! Positively crazy! Please don't be angry! sniffle Okay? On with the story now!

**Disclaimer:** Oh I wish!

I'd like to thank the following reviewers!

**blessed bih:** Thank you! And hope you like this one just as well!

**karina:** Hmmm... maybe... maybe not! Thank you for the reviews!

**sophia21:** Oh he's the eunuch alright! And he's going to be a really important person in my story here! Keep reading! And thanks for the review!

**luciana:** Thank you! And he'll come here... wait... he's already come... but here, he's got a meatier role! :)

**kt:** Here you go! And I'm sorry for having made you (and other readers) wait so long! Gomen ne!

**Warrior-of-the-Flames:** Who doesn't find Hotohori hot! :) And as for Tasuki... I've a friend who's crazy about the bandit! ;) Thanks for the review!

**Aoihand:** Believe me... The last thing I wanted was a Mary Sue! And I'm glad you think it's not so! And I'll make sure I don't stray! (Read: I'll update faster... even 'Kill' my professors if I have to!)

And I'll also take this space to thank all the 'ghost' readers out there! Thanks for taking the time to read my effort! :D

On with the tale, folks!

* * *

**Note to self No.9:**

**When it rains trouble – it pours pagodas.**

The sound of laughter brought me back to reality. I started as I heard Hotohori call my name. Smiling at the emperor to my left, I tried to make out what they were speaking about. Tamahome and Miaka sat on the other side of the table and from the looks of it; Tamahome was sharing an anecdote about his training days under some old martial arts master from the western lands.

"Did he really make you carry fifty buckets of water uphill everyday?" Miaka exclaimed. He nodded, a little pleased with himself that he was able to impress Miaka in the presence of the emperor himself. But when he caught my knowing smirk, his smile slipped off his face to be replaced by a tinge of red on his cheeks.

"Did you learn any style of martial arts, lady Aredhel?" I heard Hotohori ask, his eyes resting on me. I smiled as I sipped from my goblet.

"No. I'm afraid I wasn't educated in any such fields. And from where I come from, I didn't need it much." I added in my defense. He smiled as he nodded.

"Oh but there are cases of harassment and all…" Miaka remarked. The emperor turned towards her now,

"Harassment? As in?" she shrugged as though she discussed such matters all the time.

"You know…husband beating wife, boyfriend beating girlfriend-" the men were starting to get alarmed. Miaka was painting such a gory picture of modern day Tokyo, it amused me. But I knew I had to defend the future so,

"-there are wives who beat husbands too…I guess we come from an age of equality, Miaka." I cut her short at the look the men were having.

"Indeed!" Hori remarked as he sipped from his goblet.

"Strange times, huh?"

"You said it sister!" Tamahome ladled some more rice into his plate, under the amused observation of the emperor.

"Tamahome, if you should only ask, I'm sure my servants shall be more than happy to serve you."

The said seishi grinned, a little embarrassed as he nodded but not before he had stuffed his mouth with three dumplings and some wine.

I knew it was because Tama-kins probably never had such a sumptuous meal in his life before. And I had to admit…I had been amazed and a bit baffled at how I was going to eat it all!

"I believe your family must be really proud of you, Tamahome." I observed. He nodded his efforts still on swallowing the dumplings without asphyxiating himself.

Once his air-passage was safe,

"Yes, dad wanted to come to the city to work with me but I couldn't bring them here…not with the drought that just hit our village and savings at an all time low and his health-" He stopped abruptly perhaps having just understood that the emperor was there as well. And Hotohori was _so _very there all right!

"Hasn't the relief money been dispatched already?" he asked gravely. Tamahome smiled as he nodded.

"It has been your majesty." he stopped.

"You have something more to say, Tamahome. I request you to speak your mind. I am the emperor of this country but I must take your suggestions into consideration too."

Tamahome looked very uncomfortable as he placed his chopsticks back over his bowl and clearing his throat.

"I think it would be very much useful if a canal was built to regulate the flow of the river through my village. There's either too much water or none at all."

I smiled as Tamahome finished and with a bow directed towards Hotohori, resigned himself to swallowing whole dumplings once more. There was silence...The dinner proceeded as a quieter affair now. It was clear that Hotohori's attention had been diverted that evening as he sat there, chewing his rice meditatively like a concentrating calf. Saihitei the emperor was back. I sighed as I shook my head a little.

When we all stood up, dinner now completed,

"I pray you shall sleep well, Miaka. Tamahome. Lady Aredhel. And don't worry, Tamahome…I shall speak about the canal with my council tomorrow."

They bowed to the emperor (Tamahome was a little embarrassed but he grinned at the emperor and I) and with a smile thrown in my direction, left for their rooms. When we were alone in the room once more, I turned to find the emperor staring at a tapestry that hung on the wall. It bore the image of a man who looked regal and noble, as though he was royalty and I deemed it appropriate only to assume that he was Hori's ancestor.

"He's a good looking chap." I remarked, not knowing what to say. He smiled as his eyes strayed towards me.

"He was my father after all!" I rolled my eyes as a smile crept up my lips. This guy was the Webster's definition of a 'narcissist'.

"There have been many blunders that my father has done. He was a good emperor. But…sometimes I hear rumors that he stayed in the harem for longer than was good for a man of his position." He lowered his gaze as a sigh left him and suddenly it became clear as day how tired he was of all these duties and how it seemed to distress him to his very soul.

"Hori…"

"That is why I do not visit the harem. And then…" his eyes turned to me. I knew what he meant. I smiled as I began hurriedly, intent on turning this subject somewhere away from such dangerous topics.

"If it's about Tamahome and his family, I'm sure you'll be able to accommodate them in the capital…even in the palace if you want to." He was surprised and I knew it by the way his brows shot up. Hey! What did he take me for? A weak nerd who hardly knew anything about politics? I smirked as I shrugged,

"I hear he has two younger brothers and two younger sisters and a very sick father who I'm sure will find it very helpful if they were to be placed in the city and maybe Tamahome can be paid for the services he's providing…it might help him – I don't know – to send his siblings to school or something? Education is an important factor in one's life!" he was now staring at me open-mouthed.

"Maybe I should give you my position." He mused, sounding half-serious and half-amused. I grinned as I shrugged once more,

"I guess I'll make a good empress huh?"

"I know…"

_Drat! Way to go Smarty pants!_

His smile turned a little weirder and his eyes seemed to darken a little as he took another step towards me. I had to think fast.

"Talking of empress…I don't think you've visited the harem lately…have you?" he stopped. Okay. That was much better. I did not know how I would react if I let this man any further into this relationship.

"I believe I've never visited that place." He stated.

"Well…just so you know…the women there are desperate." I turned around to leave for my room. I had almost let that episode about Gentokuin out. But then…he was only another member in his ministry. I had shrugged it off.

"What do you mean, desperate?" I stopped as I turned around to grin at him.

"Believe me, Hotohori. They're beautiful. You should give them a try."

"But you know I don't like the-"

"-yeah sure, Hori. Good night!" I called out loudly earning a glare from the emperor. I laughed,

"You're hopeless, Hotohori." His glare melted a little as he shook his head, muttering to himself as I closed the door behind me.

* * *

There had been uproar the next day and I was certain it had been Miaka's doing. The moment I saw Tamahome barge into my room, his face pale and his entire countenance suggesting that Armageddon was upon us, I knew something was wrong.

"Aredhel...the envoys…they…they know about Miaka." I had been drinking my tea when I spluttered at the drink in my hand.

"What? How? When? Who?" I asked, not minding that I had sprayed tea all over my pristine white robes. (Lin was gonna kill me.)

"Yes. I don't know how they knew it but that general they have happened to be the one who found out…I guess. And you should have looked at the expression the emperor had when he came out from the meeting to meet us. He called for an emergency meeting between the three of us and announced that the envoys knew we had our priestess."

"But aren't they going today? Back to Khutou?" I squeaked. He shrugged gravely as he paced the floor before my table, his hands behind him, deep in thought.

"I guess they're going to try and stop us from summoning Suzaku. That's gonna be peachy. With all this war going on, the people were looking forward to this trip from the envoys. But I guess they just wanted to spy on us…the cheeky wolves!"

"Hey! Don't call them wolves! Wolves are really nice creatures. I like wolves. They're my favorite creatures.Okay?" I said missing the bemused look that Tama-kins was giving me which morphed into exasperation a moment later.

"Aredhel…you're missing the point." He sighed as he shook his head.

"It's a good thing they don't have their priestess or else we're in really thick soup." He seemed oblivious to the alarmed stare I was fixing him with as I gulped.

"What if their priestess was a good person who wouldn't want a war?"

He snorted as he sat beside me, his hands folded behind his back as he tipped the chair backwards onto two legs.

"Aredhel, Aredhel! You have no idea what you're talking about. Seiryuu is the god of war and the priestess he'll choose will be just as nasty. I'm sure they've already got theirs and came looking if we have ours and now that they know we've got Miaka, they'll try every trick in the book to stop us. I just hope they leave innocent people put of this." His brows knit together as he said nothing. And again, I knew what he was thinking.

Hori had told me that he had sent messengers to the eight corners of Khonan to search for the remaining seishi and also that from what seemed like an old scroll, he had deciphered the character of 'court' which made him suspect the presence of the next seishi was very well within the capital at least.

But if the Seiryuu seishi were all there…then, they would indeed be searching for their Miko…me.

"Are you alright? You seem pale. Want some water?" I started back to reality to find Tama-kins staring at me with a worried look on his face. I smiled hurriedly as I shook my head, not having the slightest clue what he had asked me. He smiled back as he got up from where he sat,

"Well I guess I'll go meet the emperor now. We're having a brain-storming session right now as to what our next plan of action must be. Gotta go, sis." He waved. I nodded absently as he walked out of my room, closing the door behind him, leaving me in a strained silence.

I had no idea how long I sat there…it could have been a moment or many cloudy days. But when Lin came into the room, she remarked,

"You look like you're enjoying your tea a bit too much, milady. You seem to be wearing it now."

I laughed weakly as I absently placed the cup on top of the table and turned to Lin. There was silence for a while as I stood there staring at her as she stared back at me, her hands holding at least three different bathrobes. Then,

"I need to meet the emperor. Now." She stood there, gaping at me as I dashed past her in my night robe.

I registered the look of horror and of bemusement in all his minsters' face as I walked into the room where the emperor was having a discussion with his fellow seishi and the Miko.

"Aredhel!" I smiled at Hori as I bowed a little, making sure that my night-robe did not split open revealing more of me than I would have desired.

"I heard Tamahome say-"

"-Please sit down." He cut me short. The minsters had advance a step closer to me when he glared at them and had them dispersed.

When the last minister had left the room, he got up from where he sat and rushed to my side as I sank into one of the chairs close by.

"Aredhel-"

"Have they left?" he stopped short to gaze at me with astonishment.

There was silence for a while as I stared back at the emperor who seemed too reluctant to look away.

He sighed as he shook his head,

"I think I might safely assume you've met someone from their side?" his eyes were a little anxious as though hoping to hear me negate what he had suggested.

I merely remained silent. Then,

"Who did you meet?"

"I think it was the general." He sighed. He turned to the other two who were seated there, staring at us as though they hardly understood a word.

"Miaka…Tamahome…there is something that I must tell you. I'm afraid we cannot keep it a secret any longer."

I sat there for the next one hour, careful not to look at Tamahome or Miaka as they heard the tale straight from the emperor's mouth with wide open eyes. I knew it would come as a shock for Tama-kins to know that his friend was actually the 'Seiryuu no Miko'. But to say that he was 'shocked' was an understatement. When the tale was finished, Tamahome turned his sights at me, his face devoid of any emotion that I could have used for deciphering how he took to the truth.

I smiled weakly.

"You are the _Seiryuu no Miko_?" he asked incredulously. I could only nod. He stared at me for a while before turning to the emperor who now stood behind me, his hands on my shoulder as though to let the other two know that I could be trusted. A gesture for which I was thankful.

"Your majesty, she could be a spy." He stated simply. I waited for the reply from the man behind me.

"I must be truthful in saying that it had been my assumption as well…initially. But with the passage of time, I can safely say that she is no spy. And I believe she wishes for peace to prevail between Khonan and her neighbors."

"Absolutely!" I chimed in, trying earnestly to impress upon the man who had been one of my close friends until a few moments ago. Tamahome stared at me as though he was trying to see right into my thoughts. Then…

"I trust you Aredhel." It was Miaka who had spoken. She was smiling at me as she stood up from where she sat and walked to me. I smiled gratefully as she gave me a hug and stood away to look at Tamahome. His gaze had lost some of its sternness at this.

"Well…I need some time..." his face was so calculative; I felt waves of nervousness wash over me. Tamahome got up from where he sat and with a final bow, walked out of the room. I placed a hand over the one that was firmly on my shoulder still. I looked up to find Hotohori regard me with a strange emotion in his eyes…a tinge of hesitation and anxiety, I could discern from his show of assurance as he stood there, his hand gently pressing my shoulder.

Hesitation and anxiety…

* * *

The departure of the envoys, I observed with great gladness. Hotohori was of the opinion that the talks hadn't been very conducive for either of the states. And I didn't need him to tell me that.

And now that they knew of Miaka's existence, it was only a matter of time before war broke out. If there had been a time when I had felt such mixed reactions to my existence before, I did not remember. The ministers seemed to loathe my very presence and went into defensive mode – as though I would mutate into something dangerous and kill everyone within a mile's radius. And Hotohori…he looked more drawn (that didn't make him any less handsome, though!) and introverted. And of Tamahome…I hardly saw him after that day of 'revelation'.

Lin sang softly as she worked on her embroidery as I did what I did best these days…sit and worry about the future. There had been a time when this Aredhel didn't worry about anything more complicating than the topology sums that she was presented with. But now, Aredhel…Seiryuu no Miko… could make or break a nation.

"Milady, did you know that the finest warriors are to be assembled in the coming days?" Lin spoke suddenly, making me start. I shook my head. No I didn't know.

"The emperor has called forth all great warriors to see if any of them is a seishi."

"I see."

Lin smiled.

"I do believe milady is invited as well."

I hid a scoff with difficulty.

"Yeah right! They wouldn't do anything like that with the high and mighty 'Seiryuu no Miko' around now, would they?" Lin's smile fell a little before falling right back in place.

"Our emperor trusts you. And I trust milady."

There was silence when I looked down at the white sleeves of my night robe.

"They say the test shall take place tomorrow. I am sure, milady's presence shall be well received."

* * *

It was a bright sunny morning as I sat beside Miaka on the dais, with at least a thousand soldiers before us, all looking dangerous.

"These are all the best of my warriors, summoned from all over the kingdom. I do not doubt the possibility that there could be one or more seishi within this group, your eminence." Hotohori spoke to Miaka as she nodded, taking in all that was being said.

Before any of us could speak, Tamahome sprang up from where he sat and cracked his knuckles. He surprisingly didn't seem to mind my presence. I was a little hopeful that he might have accepted me back into his 'friends' list….fingers crossed!

"If his majesty will permit me, I shall gladly test these men and see if there is a seishi amidst them."

Hotohori nodded.

What happened in the next ten minutes was too awkward and funny to describe. Tamahome seemed to show off more than he tested the men around him and obviously this was the truth for he seemed to grin at Miaka every now and then as he tossed another man over his shoulder. When at least a hundred had fallen,

"I thought you were testing them, Tamahome. But it seems as though you're merely demonstrating your skills in the martial arts, which we are well aware of…" I stifled a giggle as I heard the emperor remark. Tamahome squared off his shoulders, the tiniest hints of embarrassment on his face,

"I don't think any of them is a seishi, your majesty."

"That much we figured, Tamahome." Hotohori said his voice smooth, making Tamahome rub his neck in embarrassment.

"Maybe I should try, Hotohori." Miaka stood up from where she sat and walked towards a pagoda that stood down in the courtyard a little right to where we sat. The emperor nodded amused once more as he watched Miaka stand there, her hands on her hips and her entire demeanor very business like.

"Alright! May I request all the gentlemen with weird characters in their bodies to step forward, please?"

A murmur ran through the crowd as the soldiers turned to each other, puzzled at this strange request. And I could see that Hotohori was truly amused by the way he elegantly tapped his fingers against his lips that hardly concealed a grin.

"You're silent today, Aredhel." I started to find his eyes on me. I smiled as I shook my head,

"I'm not." he was about to reply when,

"I guess you're all a bunch of cowards then! Spineless creatures!" it was Miaka. It appeared as though she was trying to provoke them into a fight. And the expression on the soldiers' faces wasn't very encouraging.

"Miaka… I don't think this is a good idea." I heard Tamahome say. But it seemed as though she wasn't going to listen to anybody that day.

"You know what? I don't think any of you is worthy of serving me. You seem scared of a little defenseless girl. How can I expect you to fight for me? You bunch of sissies!"

I knew she was treading on thin ice and that the men could lose their self-control any time. I got up from my seat and walked (read 'marched') to her and was about to pull her away,

"Miaka, don't kill yourself here." I hissed as she pulled her hand away from me. When she looked at me with a wink and then turned to the soldiers in front of us, I knew it wouldn't be anything good.

"You know…she thinks we're wasting time. She thinks you can't fight and you know what? I guess she's right." I stood there flabbergasted as I heard her say these things and I did not know what happened next except for the fact that I saw the men advance towards us in an angry mob, their weapons raised.

Then there was an earth shaking noise as a mallet landed into one of the slender pillars that held up the pagoda above us. I was distinctly aware of pushing Miaka away from me when the pagoda started crumbling and it felt as though the skies were crumbling to the ground. There was a memory of darkness overtaking my senses and then nothing.

I woke up to the sound of someone's strained grunts. Opening my eyes, I found my vision bathed in a red brilliance. The character blazed in the relative darkness around us. It was Tamahome. And it appeared as though he was holding the beams from collapsing on us. He smiled as he saw me awaken.

"Hey there!" he growled again as the beam sank a little lower bringing him closer to me. If there had been a time when I had been more scared, I did not remember it.

"You're an idiot. You know that?" he chided me gently. I shook my head a little as I felt tears run down my face.

"Not a greater idiot than you, Tama-kins." He smirked as he grunted once more. I hoped somebody would find a way to get us out. I turned my head to my left when something warm and coppery flowed down near my lips.

"Blood." I gasped as I looked up to find a gash on Tamahome's temple.

"Yeah well, don't make me talk… We might end up dead." He said as he came closer. That could only mean that the weight was taking its toll. The character of 'demon' shone with greater brilliance as the darkness around me got even more eminent.

"I'm sorry, Tamahome."

He opened his eyes. He was smiling.

"Whatever for?"

I smiled, though I was crying.

"I didn't tell you that I was the-"

"Don't worry. I trust you." he said, cutting me short. He was getting weaker and I could say that by the way his hands trembled to hold himself up. If we weren't in such dangerous and life-threatening a situation, I would have laughed at our position. Then as though he wanted to give his everything into his goal of holding the beam from collapsing on us, he gave an almighty push before collapsing on top of me. I waited for the almighty beam to crush us but all I felt was the bearable weight of Tamahome and then, there was light. It appeared like the beam had ceased to exist all of a sudden.

"Well! You two have the devil's luck now, don't you?" I squinted in the sunlight to find myself gazing up at the very same woman who had given me a piece of her mind in the harem the other day. The one fact that clashed with her demure appearance was the fact that she held up a part of the pagoda's roof as though it were merely a pillow. There was a moment's silence as I gathered my thoughts together.

"Aredhel. Are you alright?" I turned to my left to find the emperor kneeling there beside me as he regarded the entire scene before him with worried eyes. I smiled or at least tried to but somehow, there was a pain in my left thigh as though I had broken it. I looked down to find the crème hue of my skirt slowly turning red. Aaand I had a tear in my blouse the size of Texas.

"You're hurt." He stated as I felt something soft glide around me. I looked around to find that he had wrapped his outer cloak around me. I was still disoriented but I could still feel myself being carried from the ground.

"Your majesty!" I heard the young woman from the harem exclaim. He turned around with me in his arms,

"We would like to talk with you, lady…" I felt his voice rumble from deep inside him as I wreathed my hands around his neck to hold myself better.

"Kourin, milord though I am also known by the seishi name Nuriko."

"You may wait for us outside our study. We shall be there shortly."

She curtsied before the emperor with a sweet smile but I didn't miss the hard glint that flashed in her violet eyes as she turned her gaze towards me. Another person who wanted me gone. I sighed. I guess Hotohori thought this was the cue that I was getting tired and smiled at me gently that I returned with a watery smile of my own. Just another step forward, he turned back again, this time, he turned towards Tamahome.

I smiled gratefully towards him as he sat there with Miaka tending to his wounds.

"Thank you, Tamahome." I heard Hotohori say,

He smiled as he lowered his head and as he raised his head once more, there was the same trust that I feared I had lost.

With that, he turned around and led me up the stairs towards the palace. Here I was the Seiryuu no Miko being carried back to her room by a Suzaku seishi. This was getting too tired for further contemplation and I readily buried my head into his chest, missing the smile that Hotohori threw down in my direction.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And so we have Nuriko's official entrance as well…and until next time be sure to post your reviews! Good, Bad, Ugly…I can take it! (Er… I think.)

Until next time,

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	10. Trouble never rings when it comes callin

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I hereby proclaim that I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters that Yuu Watase-sensei came up with. So you're barking up the wrong tree, people!

I'd like to thank the following reviewers:

**Warrior-of-the-Flames:** Thanks for the review! And I'm so jealous! We hardly have enough anime awareness where I live.. and Anime cons are still merely a dream for me! (TT)

**hermione:** Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter!

* * *

**Note to self No.10:**

**Trouble never rings when it comes calling.**

"There. Now don't you move a muscle!" He said as he placed me onto the bed. I nodded, still clinging to his cloak. He smiled through his anxiety as we waited for Lin to come which she did with a shriek at the sight of the wound in my thigh.

"Milady! Oh Suzaku…your majesty!" she sank into a bow, having just realized that the emperor was inside the room. He nodded graciously as he sat there by my side, his hands folded against his broad chest. Lin smiled a little embarrassed and turned to my thigh which had stopped bleeding but looked and felt every bit painful.

"I shall call for the healer." Hotohori stood up from where he sat.

"In the meantime, you can clean the wounds, Lin." She curtseyed and turned to me, ready to unbutton the dress.

It took Lin just a few minutes to get me out of the crème dress and into my night robe and ready for the healer's visit. She had also bathed my wound in warm water and applied a light dressing to the cut.

* * *

A moment later as she still smoothed the bed here and there, the healer entered behind the emperor and Tamahome who seemed just fine as though he had not been involved in any of the antics in the courtyard. He grinned at me as he walked towards me, to stand behind the chair by my bed. The healer smiled at me in what he thought was a kindly smile. But I could hardly make out his mouth in the white beard that covered half his face. He was dressed in white and the first impression he had on me was that of Gandalf from 'the Lord of the Rings'. I guess that was a good thing for I forgot the pain a little trying to stifle my giggles.

The observation went fairly well with the hypothesis that I had broken nothing except perhaps my pride.

"You're lucky, Aredhel. You had me so worried." Hotohori sat by my side on the bed as soon as the healer left with Tamahome to examine his wounds. I smiled as I shrugged,

"I'm sorry, Hori…I guess I must have seemed so stupid there." I looked down at the bandaged thigh.

"You tried saving Miaka…and speaking of Miaka…she's been upset over this entire incident. She thinks it's her fault."

"I'll talk to her. Hey! We did find another seishi. I mean…you guys found another-"

"Aredhel!" he stopped me mid sentence. I knew why.

"You are one of us…you may be the Seiryuu no Miko. But you're still one of us." He said as he placed his arm around my shoulder, his subtle way of making me feel right at home…I smiled.

"Sure, Hori."

"Aredhel…"

"Hmm?" I leaned my head onto the pillows, my neck resting gently against his arm. There was silence. Opening my eyes, I found his face sporting an expression that unsettled me a little. It was the same anxiety that seemed to gnaw at him these days.

"Keep up like this and you know you'll become an expert at being so dramatic, Hori. What's the matter? You seem as though your doggie just died!" His face broke into a smile as he shook his head.

"Nothing…" that had to be the lamest lie but for some reason, I did not want to hear what he wanted to say…as though it would put me into a very compromising position. He retracted his arm and stood up.

"Sleep well, Aredhel." His lips felt warm against my forehead. I smiled, touched at this gesture.

"I will, emperor." With another smile, he turned around and left me to sleep.

* * *

Miaka was weeping when she entered my room and though I felt a little irritated at her antics, I couldn't bring myself to scold her. She was trying to help – in her own bizarre way.

"Hey there." She merely sat on the chair beside my bed, wiping tears that flowed incessantly from her eyes. I smiled a little,

"You know, I think you're very lucky, Miaka. You found three of your seishi so quickly."

She merely nodded as she mumbled how grateful she was for that. I placed a hand on her knee, making her look up at me. Her hazel eyes swam in tears as she smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, Aredhel. I didn't mean for a fight to break out. Honest! And now…you're hurt and that could mean war between the two countries." She hiccoughed. This was just as much as I could take. I laughed as I patted her knee gently.

"You're a funny girl, Miaka. No wonder people think you're out of this world." She stopped her crying to regard my statement with bemusement. My laugh had softened to a smile.

"I know you did none of what you did on purpose. So, I don't think there is anything to forgive." Her face broke into a smile as she nodded before turning her attention to the bandaged thigh.

"I hope it doesn't hurt you that much, Aredhel."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. You mark my words, Miaka – I'll be walking in another two days." I knew that wouldn't be possible. But that cheered her up nonetheless.

"Aredhel… will you be going to Khutou once you're healed?" her question hit me like a boulder from the sky.

"I don't know." I said, truthfully. She nodded,

"Hotohori is really worried about the peace talks that didn't go quite as planned and maybe…you could convince them that you wouldn't take up being the Seiryuu no Miko if they're going to go into war with Khonan."

"Ooookay…you're quite the diplomat, Miaka." She blushed as she shook her head.

"No…I think that's what Hotohori tells his advisers when they tell him to lock you up in the dungeons."

_They wanted me locked up in the dungeons?_

I nodded, smiling at her. She rose from where she sat and winked at me.

"He really likes you."

"I'm honored." I said, my voice straight, as I straightened the coverlet over me. She nodded as she turned to leave the room.

"I'll have to check up on Tamahome. He-"

"Sure dear. Just be sure to pass on my gratitude when you see him." she smiled again and bounced off my room.

When I was alone once more, I reflected on what Miaka had told me. Was that why he was so worried? That I wouldn't support Khonan if I left for Khutou? Or was he scared that I mightn't leave Khonan at all…making myself a nuisance here?

I heard a knock at my door and expecting the person to be Lin or Hotohori himself, I called for the person to come in.

The person who walked in was neither Lin nor Hotohori. I knew it the moment I saw her violet eyes scowl down at me. She threw her long mane of dark hair over her shoulder and traipsed daintily my way.

"Well, well, well!" she sighed as she stood next to my bed. I was a little concerned. She was the one who had deemed it fit to hate me the moment she met me and I wouldn't be surprised if she tried killing me right here and now. And from what I remembered last, she had superhuman strength going for her.

I smiled or tried to as I indicated to the chair beside my bed. I had to be an idiot to have her in my room alone with me when she was probably mad enough to kill me.

"I see that your room is really extravagant." Her voice was well honeyed but I could still make out the sharp sarcasm. But I merely smiled as I cocked my head in a crude bow.

"Why thank you…er…what was your name again?" I knew my nonchalance hit the spot. She turned around, her violet eyes blazing; her hands clawed open as though she wanted nothing more that to tear me into pieces. But her mouth was smiling, a sweet smile.

"I am known as Kourin. But you should address me as Lady Kourin." I raised an eyebrow. Her smile widened as she walked closer.

"I was actually hoping to save the boy but too bad you survived too."

It was evident she was seething on the inside.

"Too bad. Then emperor would have pined away on my demise! Now would that not be so beautiful, tragic and not to mention..._romantic_?"

Her smile vanished like a cloud drawn over the sun's face.

"You're surely going to regret this, woman." Her teeth were gritted and I could feel her breath on my face. Okay…that was the sign for me to die, murdered by a beautiful courtesan like in those stories where the queens always fought over the king. I smiled at her defiantly waiting for her probably to turn the bed upside down, with me in it! But then there was a knock and in dropped,

"Your majesty!"

My eyes traveling between the shocked Nuriko and the smiling Hotohori. Nuriko covered her rage up quite impeccably. Her outstretched hand that had earlier wanted to flay me, patted the blanket smooth and she turned around demurely.

"Good afternoon, your majesty." he smiled as he walked closer.

"Good afternoon, Nuriko." He then turned to me,

"You've made friends with her already, Aredhel? You're quite friendly, aren't you?"

I wanted to laugh but smiled at the woman beside me who was trying her best to make her smile stay on her lips. He then turned to Nuriko,

"We are indeed grateful for your presence, Nuriko."

"I am honored to be of service to you, my liege." She curtseyed. He nodded regally as he turned to face me now.

"Have you had anything to eat yet, Aredhel?"

I pitied Nuriko now, but merely shook my head no.

"Then we can have lunch together. The council let me off earlier than usual." He called for one of the guards stationed outside to bring us lunch. He left with a bow and when the three of us were alone in the room once more,

"Maybe Nuriko would like to join us?" I turned to look at the woman beside me and expected fury hidden behind a smile but was surprised to find her violet eyes glassy as though she would weep any moment and a strange emotion of sadness in her features…just barely did her lips pout and her eyebrows flicker in disappointment that the emperor would have noticed nothing at all. But being closer to her, I did. And for the first time, I pitied her.

"I request to be excused, my liege." She curtseyed and walked out of the room without much of a backward glance.

* * *

The food did wonders to the emperor!

It was apparent that he had skipped breakfast by the way he seemed to enjoy everything that was put in front of him. And I couldn't help but smile. So much for talking!

But once he had had his fill, he turned to look at my leg. It didn't hurt as badly as when I had first incurred the wound.

"I'm sorry, Aredhel…" his sentence drifted off to incompletion as he sat there, his hands wrung in worry. And I couldn't help but place my hand gently on his shoulder. He looked up at this… his golden brown eyes gleamed. He was quite the handsome one!

"It's alright, Hori. Nobody's responsible for this… now stop feeling worried… you don't look pretty when you do that." that was a lie. He seemed handsome no matter what he did. And he seemed to know that for he cocked an eyebrow,

"Really?" that was it. I laughed and his face broke into a smile instantaneously.

"My days seem less lonely since you came, little one…"

_Little one?_

I merely smiled as I mock-bowed from where I lay,

"My pleasure, emperor." His smile widened a little as he ran his hand through my hair, making the monarch migration in my stomach even more profound.

"I would wish we remain this way for all time to come…" his voice had grown deeper and there was a slight rumble as he said it. I knew my smile had slipped away and I lowered my eyes down to his chest.

"Aredhel…"

BANG

The doors flew open and there stood the battalion of ministers who still regarded me as the next worse thing since the plague.

"Your majesty! We beg you pardon for the intrusion! But a missive has arrived from Khutou…" he didn't have to finish that sentence for Hotohori had gotten up and strode towards the wizened man.

"I will be with you, lord Haku." It was apparent he regarded this minister with some favor, for he seemed less irritated by being interrupted by him. Lord Haku nodded and herded the rest of the men away, leaving him standing there alone for a while. He turned around to regard me with anxiety in his eyes. I knew that a missive from Khutou couldn't actually mean anything good.

"Aredhel, I…" I smiled at him as I nodded.

"I'll keep my fingers crossed, Hori. Don't worry maybe the peace talks worked and they want you to marry their princess or something!" he laughed at this,

"You are impossible sometimes, Aredhel!" I merely shrugged,

"Well…I try not to be!" he smiled nodding before he walked out of the room, a nod signifying his farewell for now.

And I sat there…..wondering whatever the message conveyed…hopefully, they wanted peace… but something told me that there was going to be a very big commotion and I would be in the middle of it all.

* * *

** Author's notes:**

Okie peoples! (The typo was intentional by the way!) Its times tos reviews! Pleases tells us hows its is! Ja mata!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	11. Airlifting people is a seishi's duty!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I hereby proclaim that I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters that Yuu Watase-sensei came up with. So you're barking up the wrong tree, people!

I'm late! I know! But please? I'm sorry… college's seriously keeping me busy (And I don't particularly enjoy that! TT)! I hope you guys like this chapter! And I'd really like to thank the following reviewers!

**Lady Seiryu: **Thanks for the review! And yep… this story is a little deviant from Watase-sensei's version… but giving away Nakago… Hmmm… I'll let Soi and you talk things out then! ;)

**Miorochi****:** Thanks for the review, my friend! And I hope this chapter answers most of your questions! :D

**Aoihand****:** I've been a little late with the updates. And I hope you really like this chapter! And thanks for the glowing review! Readers keep us writers going! J

**Hermione:** Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter!

**Warrior-of-the-Flames:** Ah well… my dad did something similar quite some time ago! And well… I got better pictures than what I had before! So, I'm not complaining! ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Kt: **Thanks for the review! And here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

**Karina: **Nakago? I strongly suspect if he's listening to Mozart while indulging himself with Almond Pocky! Darn that general! He has everything he wants! Well… almost! Thanks for the review! And do let me know what you think of this chapter!

**Sophia21: **Thank you ever so much for the review! Here's the next chapter for you! J

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.11:**

**Airlifting people can be seishi's job!**

I sat across the emperor… watching him glare at the letter as though he hoped to burn the writer of the same with his burning gaze. And for good reason too… that letter was officially from the emperor of Khutou.

"In lieu with the fact that Khonan is holding our Miko captive, we find it imperative that we retrieve her back and teach the insolent ones who might in the future attempt to repeat the same heinous crime, what such an act entails them to..."

He sighed as he dropped the letter, letting it float down towards the desktop to join perhaps a million other papers. There was silence for a while.

"Hori…"

He did not look up. I twisted the hem of my sleeves around as I sat there, not knowing what to say. Another sigh sounded around the room.

"I guess you should reply? Tell-"

"Tell them what?" His voice boomed, silencing me really well. His eyes glared at me for a moment before softening. I guess he thought he was in front of Khutou's emperor.

"This shall start a war… And there's little I can do to stop it."

"No, Hori… We'll think of something. We'll surely get them to work in harmony with us… maybe get both the Mikos to summon their respective gods at the same time? Mutual peace for the both of us? I'm sure they'll-"

The loud bang of the door opening interrupted me this time. There was a minister with what could be classified as a genuinely freaked out expression on his face.

"Your majesty…We've just received the latest reports!" he turned towards me, his eyes gleaming with anger and hatred.

"They've attacked three of our villages bordering their kingdom. Without any kind of warning! There has been a considerable amount of casualty, my lord…"

I turned to catch a glimpse of Hori. His face seemed drained of colour and that only added to my anxiety.

"Hori…"

"Your majesty…"

The minister and I had spoken at the same time.

He looked up at the minister, his eyes stern and alert.

"We shall go and assess the situation ourselves, Lord Jun."

The minister bowed, "With all due respects, your majesty… having your eminence come all the way for a skirmish not serious enough-"

"-My people have died, Lord Jun. And I personally feel it is serious enough. Do you disagree?" He shot Jun with a very stern glare.

For a minute I thought I was sitting in front of some stranger. Right now, the fourth emperor of Khonan sat in front of me. And the aura that seemed to flow around the room, subdued everything else. There was no doubt that this man was a sacred warrior… and somehow, right now, I wanted to be a little away from him… when he was like this…

And I was sure the minister felt the same way, for he stuttered and moved away. Now we were alone… the silence grew longer…

"Hori…"

"I'll be leaving for the villages now, Aredhel."

With a curt nod, he had walked out of the room. For a moment I sat there staring at the empty chair.

_Will you look at that! Now what am I supposed to do?!_

I sighed as I got up from where I sat… all I could do was to wait for him to talk about this. And damn him if he thought this didn't concern me!

* * *

"May I ask why there are extra guards stationed here?"

"The Emperor's orders."

"And what were these orders exactly?"

"I haven't been authorized to disclose them to _you…_milady."

I sighed as I turned around. I knew something of this sort would happen sooner or later. Lin stood there within my room, her hands wrung in helplessness. I smiled, assuring her I wasn't peeved when on the inside, I wanted to kick all those red clad baboons in their shins and slap them for good measure.

"Milady…"

"Ah…it's alright, Lin. It's not your fault!"

She lowered her eyes.

"I can't believe the emperor would do anything of this sort… keep you here bound like a prisoner… especially when he's not here-"

"But technically, I was a prisoner from the start. It's just that now the security is tighter."

She shook her head as she slowly turned away.

"I never thought the emperor would…"

"I'm sure he hasn't, Lin. You know his ministers… they…" there was a knock on the door. Both of us turned around to find three ministers standing there, their entire face like a white mask.

"Seiryuu no Miko…" the one who was known as Jun spoke.

I remained silent. His moustache quivered a little as he drew out a scroll from the huge confines of his robes. Lin came to stand beside me, her hands holding mine in a tight grasp.

"I shall be reading the direct edict from his majesty, so hearken carefully, Seiryuu no Miko! _'Having the safety of our country in mind, we, the emperor of Khonan, Saihitei Seishuku, hereby order Aredhel, the Seiryuu no Miko to be confined to the state of Khonan. We are aware that releasing her to the estate of Khutou would prove injurious to the designs of Khonan and hence order our trusted assembly to proceed with whatever course of action they deem fit._'"

There was silence in the room for a while. I was aware of Lin's hands trembling in mine as I grasped hers tightly, probably to steady myself.

"Does the Seiryuu no Miko understand the meaning of this edict?" Jun's voice resounded through the air. I didn't answer. His moustache quivered even more as he placed the scroll back into his robes.

"The emperor has given us permission to proceed with whatever action we may deem fit regarding you, Seiryuu no Miko."

The way they addressed me… _The Seiryuu no Miko_… it was almost like they regarded me like an insect that carried some deadly virus. One that has to be captured and killed. I gulped as I slowly released Lin's hands from my grasp.

"We don't think the edict was indeed issued by the emperor." I was aware of my voice coming out. But somehow, it didn't feel like I was using my larynx at all!

The moustache was now quivering so badly, I feared if he would whip someone with his facial hair. His eyes narrowed as he took a step forward.

"_YOU _are a prisoner as from now, lady. And we, the honorable ministerial body of Khonan's most illustrious emperor do NOT think we need to prove anything to you. You shall be escorted to your room of inquisition."

"Room of inquisition? What had I done that warranted an inquisition?" I blurted out. Now more than one moustache started quivering…

Somehow I found it very hard to believe Hori would do anything of this sort. But right now, I could do absolutely nothing.

I turned to Lin.

"Please get Mia-"

"You do not have the right to request for a meeting with anyone you desire, lady"

So, Seiryuu no Miko had become just lady. I wondered for how much long I would be treated with even this courtesy. Lin now had tears in her eyes as she discretely nodded. Soon enough, four huge guards trooped into the room, pointy spears and spiked armor in place.

The last image of that room that I ever saw was that of Lin crying silently and three men with their moustaches quivering madly. It almost felt like I was in a surreal nightmare - one from with I hoped to be roused…but one which continued endlessly.

* * *

I wasn't aware of the day dying into night… the room of inquisition being in the deepest part of the dungeons was a really good reason for that! And strangely, I found that for such a fancy name, there was hardly any inquisition happening. I had been brought in here hours ago and even after all this time, I was here – alone, with merely three guards outside my door for company. And I doubted if they would be interested enough to hear me rant about the injustice of the whole situation!

Drip… Drip…. The sound of the water dripping outside was the only sound that was discernable there! I opened my eyes and darkness surrounded me. Funny how the room of inquisition hardly had any lighting in it! Maybe they used weird 'see in the dark' goggles for interrogation? I sighed…Won't anyone come for my rescue? I wondered where Miaka and Tamahome were… I even ventured as far as hoping Nuriko would come to my rescue… but I kept waiting in vain. Someone did turn up… just that it wasn't someone I was expecting at all!

It had been close to five hours since I was brought here. And slowly it dawned on me that their aim was not to interrogate me at all! I was their prisoner and I even wondered if they would finish me off… I, being the Seiryuu no Miko, was in all possibilities a very great threat for Khonan. And to eliminate me would be the most logical course of action. And somehow, this thought did not sit well with me!

"Well… well… what do we have here?" I heard the snide voice of a woman coming from behind me. Even before I could turn around, I heard the rustle of a cloak and when I turned around, I could barely discern a form against the looming darkness.

"Who is it?" I was aware that my voice was cracking a little. Did they intend to have me assassinated so that they can plead innocent in front of Hotohori? I gulped.

"You needn't fear. Milady! I am one of your most trusted servants."

"Lin?" I asked incredulously. That innocent girl who could only think of matching skirts with tunics was actually a super spy? The form stifled a little.

"Not quite an exotic name, your eminence. But if you want to address me thus, I shalln't complain! Though my name elsewhere is quite different… and way more befitting my psyche."

Riiiight! This wasn't Lin!

"Er…okay…so…who are you exactly?" there was a rumbling noise outside.

"Hmmm…looks like it shall rain! With thunder and lightning!" And as though on cue, a streak of lightning flashed through the inky black sky visible through a bleak and barren window high up the wall and I saw my visitor a little more clearly.

She was fairly tall and her hands were on her hips, her cloak hiding the rest of her form.

"Ah… such a dreary place this is! And to have your eminence locked up against your wishes! If my orders weren't so clear and precise, I would've avenged you for this!"

Orders? What orders? Whose orders? She had moved closer and in one swoop, I was flying upwards.

"I'd advice you not to scream." And thank god she mentioned it at the nick of time! The small grate that covered the window was noiselessly lifted and soon, I was staring at the night sky… the breeze telling me clearly that I was no longer a prisoner. But she didn't stop right outside.

We were jumping from rooftop to rooftop and it took all my resolve not to scream like a damsel in distress, which I was anyway! Soon, we'd left the palace grounds and were at the edge of a thick forest. Here she stopped and let me go. I gasped as I slowly regained control over my wobbling limbs. When I was steady enough to speak –

"LADY! NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

She laughed as I gasped some more and sank to the ground.

"My apologies, your eminence. But given the state of caution that Khonan's ministers are in right now, I couldn't arrange for a better route of escape."

"Okay…. Enough games already! Who are you?" I wheezed once more. In the moon's light, I was aware of her smiling beneath the cloak and in one swift flick, she had removed her mantle.

A woman… close to my age, her wine red hair, looped and tied to the side of her head in a long ponytail, decorated well with maroon ribbons, her attire akin to that of a Roman soldier, her chest emblazoned with a burnished wings of sorts…her face… it was almost like her strength and courage stemmed from her beauty and yet… it also seemed like her beauty was watered by her courage. She smiled and suddenly sank to the ground. And for once, I was blushing.

"I, Soi, am a warrior of Seiryuu." Her head raised a little and she fixed me with a resolute stare – one where respect and confidence danced in harmony.

"I am one of the seven chosen ones who shall defend your life and purpose with ours."

Suddenly, I was quite aware of the breeze blowing around us…I was standing in front of my seishi… It was strange... Now that I thought of it, I had so blindly trusted this lady... as though I knew she wouldn't harm me...Maybe this was the bond Hori was talking about...the bond between a Miko and her seishi…

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

Phew! Almost didn't make it! Okay! I know I've been horrid with the updates… But… But… college's being such a grouse and I hardly have enough time to sleep! Sniffle I'll try to update as soon as possible! Please do check back later! Oh… and I'm also supposed to give a seminar on Chemical Bonding… Sigh…one of these days….

Oh well… worry not my dear readers! I shalln't abandon this story for the world! The updates will be a little late. But hey! You watch out! I shall finish this baby if this is the last thing I do! ;)

Please read and review!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien


	12. Everything has a reason apparently!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Riiight… If only I owned Fushigi Yuugi… I wouldn't have to worry about college… about silly lab partners who're stupid enough to make your pet lizard qualify better for a … about bad canteen food… and hellish Exams! *Sob* Ahem… I think the point has been conveyed! ^__^;;

**Author's Notes:** Phew! It's been almost three months ne! Ah… I am finally free for another two weeks! The bliss of winter break! Yay! Ahem… I'm sorry I am so late and I hope this chapter makes up for it? Hmmmm…? (~) I'm glad I could complete this chapter in time for Christmas! This is my Christmas gift for all my readers out there! A Merry Christmas to everyone out there! :D

And I would like to thank the following people for having written me words of encouragement when I was pondering if I should kill my lab partner and spend the rest of my life blissfully in jail, away from exams and practical sessions!

**Miorochi:** Yep! She is! And don't worry, she won't do something silly like believe Nakago blindly!... or will she? Hmmm… only time can tell… or me! LOL Hope you like this chapter! And thanks a lot for the review!

**GundamGirle456:** I'm really sorry for not having updated faster! But better late than never, right? *nervous laugh* Hope you like this chapter!

**Aoihand:** Ah! I know! I love it when all the minor details hold such great importance in the events of the future! :D hope you like this one as well!

**Luciana:** Hi! I am ever so glad Aredhel isn't being branded a Mary-Sue! And a really really huge thank you for saying so! Now to make sure she stays that way! And I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy!

**Kt:** I'm glad to hear there's someone out there who hates chemistry as much as I do! And I hope this chapter makes you happy! And thank you ever so much for the review!

**Sophia21:** Awww… you like Soi too? Join the club, sister! And rest assured, Soi is going to play a very important role here!

**Lady Seiryu:** Oh you're right there! This is going to get better! MWAHAHAHA!!! Ahem… Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter just as well!

**Karina:** Thank you so much for the review! Here's the next chapter! Have fun reading it!

**Warrior-of-the-Flames:** I know what you mean by those smileys! ;) And here's another chapter for you! :D

I would also like to thank the many readers who were kind enough to add me to their author alerts list and as their favorite author... you guys have no idea how honoured I feel! *sniffle* Thank you! Oh! it feels so wonderful to be back! *falls down and kisses the ground*

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.12:**

**Everything has a reason - or so the lizard says!**

The fire crackled in front of me as I sat there, huddled in her cloak… watching her tend to the fire and giving me an occasional smile. And I couldn't help but give back a stiff smile in return. My mind was reeling. In less than twenty four hours, I'd been through so many things! Accused captured and rescued…all in a day.

"Your eminence seems to be quite the deep thinker!" her voice shot through the dark. I started and turned to look at her. She was now shaving wood off a branch with her dagger.

"Why?" I croaked.

She laughed as she shook her head.

"Your eminence is surely in a state of shock! And I wouldn't blame you." Her laughter had died down to a snicker as her mauve eyes now gazed unblinking at the fire between us.

Then,

"It was for Lord Nakago."

_Nakago?! That name rang a bell!_

"Nakago? You know him?" I spluttered. Now it was her turn to regard me with surprise.

"I should be the one asking you that, your eminence!"

Both of us looked at each other for a whole moment of deep silence and then… there was a burst of laughter. I couldn't help but laugh. My situation was so pathetic that it couldn't be deemed anything but hilarious!

"He is one of your seishi…"

"Ah… that would explain many things!"

She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I smiled. "It's nothing, Soi."

She shrugged and then got up from where she sat.

"We shall be camping here for the night and your eminence need not worry. You shall be the safest you've ever been since your arrival into our world." I smiled at her. For some reason, I didn't gainsay that statement. I was indeed feeling the safest since Hori had left.

The next day greeted me lying huddled around a dying fire. I blearily opened my eyes to find Soi missing. I sighed as I hugged myself.

"Your eminence is awake… shall we proceed?" She had her mantle back on herself and seemed set to go. I groggily frowned at my surroundings as I nodded and sat up, rubbing my neck. It had been the first time, since my arrival into this weird world, that I'd camped out in the open.

I sighed as I pushed the pelt that Soi had thrown over me sometime during the night and yawned once more.

"We need to hurry up. Mask our ki, at least till we reach the borders. Once we safely cross over to Khutou, we will have nothing to fear."

I nodded absently as I folded the pelt and handed it back to her. But deep down inside I was wondering what masking ki meant and how far the borders were actually. I sighed and threw a smile in her direction.

She rubbed her foot against the ground as though there was something stuck underneath. But I knew something bugged her and it didn't take me long to find out what it was. She looked up from the ground and regarded me with an unwavering gaze,

"I am indeed sorry that your eminence has to endure such-"

"Never mind, Soi… I've been through worse." I smiled.

She nodded in acquiescence and walked away once more. Before I could wonder when she would return, she was back… accompanied by two black stallions bridled in black leather.

"I hope your eminence knows how to ride a horse?"

I was still gaping at the horses, unaware that she had spoken at all!

"And I presume your eminence doesn't…"

There was an awkward silence as we both stood there, staring at the two horses. She sighed as she shook her head. And for some reason, I felt guilty… Just when people were coming forward to save my neck, I was hindering their progress by such silly reasons like equestrian ignorance!

"Ah don't worry, Soi… I'm sure I'll learn!" I walked up to one of the animals and smiled at him. He snorted in response and kneaded the ground.

"I guess that means he's happy to see me?" I ventured hopefully. But I knew from Soi's response that I had been wrong. She chuckled as she shook her head.

A very tired sigh left my lips and that was all that took to have Soi's chuckle grow into a giggle… For some reason, I didn't think that was very funny… but soon I couldn't help but laugh myself. The situation as a whole was strangely amusing… and seeing it in that light made it all the more bearable.

* * *

"I hope your eminence is comfortable." I smiled as I turned back to regard Soi.

"Never been more comfortable on a horse!"

It had been five hours since we'd left the capital of Khonan behind. And I'd turned back just once… when we'd passed the city gates. The palace was huge and clearly visible. I was beginning to wonder if they'd noticed my absence. And I had a strict suspicion that was the case because we were hit by a barrage of questions when we approached the gates.

Soi, being ever the resourceful person that I'd begun to associate her with, had managed to furnish 'papers' that showed that we were merchants from Sairou and that we were heading back home, having finished an apparently handsome deal in the copper and coal markets of Eiyou, the capital of Khonan.

Right now, I was the daughter of a wealthy copper merchant from Sairou and Soi was my servant cum bodyguard!

"How on earth did you manage to get the papers right?" I wondered as we now trotted along roads that would soon lead us to Khutou. I could feel her hold on the horse's reins tighten as she shrugged,

"It was nothing, your eminence… everything was arranged well in advance… the moment Lord Nakago came back from Khonan… after he had confirmed of your existence."

I nodded. Being on the same horse as Soi wasn't exactly comfortable. But owing to the fact that the horses would rather walk on two legs than let me ride them, there were very few options left.

The journey continued in comfortable silence for another five hours, our only intermission being for lunch and for refills on water.

And soon, dusk stole over the skies. Soi decided to rest for the night in a glade. It was a little away from the main road but it was secluded enough to hide us away from bandits who might be frequenting the roads.

And as we sat once more, around a crackling fire, horse tethered onto a nearby branch, the silence grew louder once more.

A seishi and her Miko…

Soi probably sensed my eyes on her for she regarded me with a raised brow. She was beautiful.

I smiled as I shook my head,

"I was just wondering of all the events that have led us here." She smiled as she nodded.

"Yes, your eminen-"

"Couldn't you call me by my name?"

She stopped abruptly as she now regarded me with astonishment. What was with people in this world and friendly approaches? Almost everybody freaks out when I ask them to refer me by my name! And I involuntarily thought of Lin… my timid little servant maid. Again I wondered if she was doing well… if she'd informed Miaka…

"What would you have me refer to you as?" Soi's voice rang through the silence.

"Lady Aredhel… or Aredhel-san… or even just Aredhel! I don't mind!" I shrugged.

She laughed again…this time a feminine laughter that she contained behind the screen of her right hand.

"He was right… you are exceptionally different, Aredhel-sama."

And I knew it right away the person she was alluding to.

"Nakago seems to have given quite the detailed analysis on me!"

"That was why he'd come." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Ah… I see." There was silence once more.

For some reason, we were quite comfortable being silent around each other. I had never been the one to chatter around a lot even among friends. But somehow, around Soi, it didn't bother me much that I didn't. But then again… there were so many questions that I wanted to ask her.

"Soi… have all the seishi been summoned?"

She smirked now… a superior and knowing smirk.

"As a matter of fact, they have been, Aredhel-sama. All that we're waiting for is you."

If I was expecting to feel elated at this news, I didn't feel it.

"Oh…so, the summoning will happen immediately?"

A shrug was all I got in reply.

"Wouldn't that fit Aredhel-sama's plans of returning to her world faster, perfectly?"

I laughed a little ruefully, that would… but then again… I had wanted to share the same camaraderie that I'd seen between Miaka and the Suzaku seishi. But I didn't dare say it out.

I just lowered my eyes to the fire to see it crackling on… sparks flying randomly… only to die out.

"It is getting rather late, Aredhel-sama. Maybe you should rest."

I nodded absently and lay down on the pelt that had been strewn on the ground. And soon, I'd fallen fast asleep.

* * *

_I was walking along a dark alley…groping my way through the darkness, following some unseen direction. And then suddenly,_

"_Seiryuu no Miko…" there was a blast of blue light and suddenly I was in a huge hall with tall pillars adorned with gauzy blue curtains. And as I walked closer towards the voice, I found myself in front of the same man who had visited me in the Library._

"_You!?" he smiled as he nodded._

"_You're Seiryuu, aren't you?" I was aware that my voice had gained a hint of an accusatory tone. He smiled on and nodded once more._

"_Oh! I've a bone to pick with you, mister!" I stomped closer and when I was within a yard's distance, I stopped._

"_I have waited for your arrival so patiently and with such anticipation, my Miko…" he sounded happy… as though he'd finally reconciled with someone he loved after a very long time._

_But that hardly fazed me from asking him, "Is that why I was so unceremoniously dropped into Khonan? Which happens to be the land of Suzaku? Who interestingly is NOT YOU?!!" He winced as my voice rose an octave._

"_My dearest one, we assure you there is a very good reason for that." He stated calmly._

_I let a growl out as I ground out my next sentence, "And this is a very good time to let me know those reasons you speak of, dragon!"_

_He laughed… of all the reactions that he could give me… it was laughter!_

"_I have done wisely in choosing you, Aredhel…and I hope we shall meet again soon… perhaps when you have better understanding of my designs and purposes…"_

"_I know of your designs and purpose! You're the god of War for crying out loud! And I've heard enough to know what it is you want! What Khutou wants is war! And you can be damned sure that I will NOT be wishing for that wish!"_

_His smile grew… in an enigmatic way…_

"_I was indeed wise in my choice of you…we shall meet again, Miko. And remember… now is not a good time to summon me… there is still time for redemption for Khutou. But you must first help redeem the ones around you… they are the ones who need your help the most… and you will soon find the meaning in all my actions through you. Fear not…Aredhel, my child…I am there by your side..."_

_I was aware of Seiryuu's voice growing thinner as was the mist around us getting thicker…_

"_Oy! Seiryuu-sama! What do you mean, by my side? Hey! Answer me!" _

_But all I got as answer was silence… silence that seemed older than time…_

I woke up with a start only to find myself back in the glade; Soi was packing up her things into the horse's saddle already even though dawn had hardly arrived. It had been a dream… it was almost like for a moment I had been in audience with Seiryuu and suddenly, I wanted to reach Khutou as quickly as possible.

Some part of my mission was clear to me. And for now, I only knew that Khutou had to be reached – as quickly as possible!

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Finally! Another chapter's done! I am working on my next chapter as you read this! And I do hope to complete quite a few chapters in these holiday time! Oh yes! And I do hope my darling readers continue to support me! Thank you, dearest readers! You keep us, despairing writers, afloat! :D

Do read and review!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	13. My seishi are weird!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** Nope… I still don't own it! But one day… One day! ONE DAY!!!! *gets dragged off-screen by men in white coats* MMPHHMPFHHH!!!

**Author's Notes:** This was a faster update ne? LOL

And I would like to thank the following reviewers for their constant encouragement! Thanks guys! You made my day!

**Aoihand: **You have no idea how happy it feels to be back! And just when I had to post, my LAN card died on me! Oh well... everything's fixed and hopefully won't malfunction again....'hopefully'! :D And thank you for the review! Personally, I hate the 'lover' relationship between the god and the miko. So, I will avoid that at all costs! Keep up the support!

**sophie21: **Thank you! Thank you! Hope you like this chapter as well!

**FallenAngerYen: **Thank you, dear! And hope you didn't need to wait too long...

**Lady Seiryu: **I knew the previous chapter was slow and believe me I wanted it to finish as soon as possible. But then... if I were to hurry that up, the continuity would be lost ne? And as for the updates... *looks around guiltily* eheh... this was fast... right? Ahem... *sweatdrop* Oh well... I can assure you there will be more action hereon! *pumps fists* ;D

**Miorochi: **Hmmmm.... I could answer the questions... but that would give away the plot! :) So, please read on... I'm sure they'll answer all your questions. And a really big thank you for the review!

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.13:**

**My Seishi…are weird.**

One week! One whole week… that was how long it had taken for us to reach the borders. And as usual, the soldiers stopped us to glare at me suspiciously. I fervently hoped we'd out-ridden the news that the Seiryuu no Miko had escaped! And when the sentinel signaled for our safe passage, there was nobody who could've been more relieved than me! I smiled at Soi who gave me a wink.

In this one week, I'd come to realize a lot of things! Soi was one cool femme fatale! She held me in the greatest esteem and that had sure bowled me over! And I could see myself having her around as a friend for a very long time! Even if the other six turn out to be hostile and unapproachable, I could always talk to Soi.

"Aredhel-sama… the carriage awaits us." She stated when we'd gone a few miles away from the gates. And true to her word, a blue and black carriage waited for us. Tethered to two black horses similar to the one we rode, the carriage was just like any other normal one – no special decorations and no huge welcome party. And it made sense. We were not exactly in Khutou's capital and that meant we weren't completely out of danger. If the Seiryuu seishi could so easily break into the palace grounds of Khonan, who was to say the Suzaku seishi wouldn't do the same?

_WAIT A MINUTE!_

I'd been with the Suzaku seishi. And I was sure of one thing – they wouldn't break in like that! Khutou was the evil one! And I happen to be their priestess. I sighed as I got down from the horse. Why did things have to be so badly skewed and complicated!

The carriage ride took us another day. But I was at least glad that I could sit more comfortably and judging from the expression on Soi's face, I was sure she felt the same way!

When the carriage did eventually stop, it felt like it was raining outside.

"The weather does change pretty quickly. Doesn't it, Soi?" I queried but I was aware I couldn't hide the slight tremble in my voice. Soi smiled understandingly as she nodded.

"We're here, Miko-sama!" the driver of the coach called out. And even before I could nod my head, the carriage door was thrown open and I found that we were in the middle of a courtyard of a gargantuan palace. It was almost similar to Hotohori's but for the fact that most of the roofing was in blue.

_These people take this colour scheme thing a little bit too far!_

"Aredhel-sama…" I heard a voice. I gulped as I remembered the owner of that voice.

"Nakago…" I turned back to stare at the general. He was dressed in his entire military splendour. His straw gold hair was slowly getting wet in the rain that fell and his hands were folded across his broad chest. He smiled.

"Welcome home…"

* * *

_You have got to be kidding me!_

I was gaping at their emperor. A man who seemed to be entering his fortieth year, dressed in all the royal regalia that I had associated with royalty… The emperor of Khutou.

_I guess Hotohori's the one who's really young here…Just my luck!_

I smiled as I bowed before the emperor, careful not to let any of the danglers that hung from my hair to get into my face. As soon as I had arrived, I was whisked away to one of the many splendid rooms and had been bathed, dressed, painted and made a caricature of! And now as I stood before this 'man' who claimed to be the emperor, I was ready to kill Seiryuu the next time he showed up!

The emperor got up. I was aware of how loosely his tunic was draped around himself… I was no child and I had a vague idea where the emperor had been before he came to visit me. And it repulsed me. Not all emperors hated their Harem.

"Greetings, Seiryuu no Miko!" He swept his hands about as though he expected me to go running into his arms.

"We see that Seiryuu has chosen one of the most beautiful women I've seen to be his priestess… we are honoured!"

So he'd be happier if Jessica Alba was chosen instead of me? Oh! I was beginning to fume now.

"Your majesty, the priestess is just as glad to meet you." I heard one of the ministers coo. I turned to fix him with a subtle glare. And if he noticed it, which I think he didn't, he chose to ignore it.

"I'm sure she is." Now the emperor was getting down from the dais towards me. I looked around a little anxiously to spot Nakago stand there, his head bowed and his hands clenched before him. A sigh of relief left me. Surely the emperor wouldn't do anything silly if Nakago was around!

_But he is the friggin' emperor!_

I gulped as the emperor stood before me, his smile hidden behind wisps of facial hair that were his moustache and beard. I smiled back.

"She is indeed out of this world… is she not?" he turned to the minister who had spoken earlier. I fixed him with a 'not-so-very-amused' stare, almost daring him to agree.

He lowered his eyes hurriedly and mumbled a low 'yes, milord."

"I am almost despairing the fact that she is a priestess!" the emperor exclaimed before laughing. I turned to glare at Nakago who didn't dare look up. What the hell was his problem?

An hour later…

When I was alone in my room after an 'audience' with the emperor, I stood, gladly 'de-painted' and scowling.

I was angry… I was beyond angry… I was literally breathing fire!

There was a knock at my door. A glare formed involuntarily as I called out harshly, "What do you want?"

The door opened and in walked Nakago.

"I see that Aredhel-sama is not in a good mood." He stated calmly. My glare got a little more intense as I took a step towards the general who was almost a good foot taller than me!

"How do you expect me to be in a good mood when I almost get felt up by the emperor!?" I grunted from behind clenched teeth. He smiled at this.

The darned man was smiling! This infuriated me further and before I could stop myself, I smacked him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, pulling my hand back in pain. His smile got wider as he took a step forward,

"Milady, I was in armor. I can say you are not exactly delicate but I am sure that must have hurt!" He took my hand in his and true enough, there was a small bruise forming in one of fingers.

"Darn you, Nakago!" I growled as I snatched my hand away. He did not protest as I did this and walked towards one of the windows.

"Why is he like this?" I asked, aware that he was still there behind me. I heard a sigh and the next thing I knew, Nakago was beside me, his hands resting on the window sill, his hair falling about him, his brows creased and himself in deep thought.

"Not every kingdom is blessed with a kind and dutiful emperor, Aredhel-sama."

I was aware he was talking about Hotohori. And I involuntarily smiled as I thought of him… he was such a kind and gentlemanly emperor… so different from the one who graced the throne here! My smile ended in a frown.

"Nakago… what will Khutou do once Seiryuu is summoned?"

There was silence.

"We will head out to war. We will claim Khonan for our own."

I had been expecting this answer. But to hear it said out loud, it unsettled me.

"And you will lead them forward… the army…as their general…won't you?" the silence that loomed after I had spoken was even more uncomfortable.

There was a sharp intake of air and then a gentle exhalation.

"Aredhel-sama…I am one of the generals of this-"

"Will you or won't you?"

He coughed.

"I will, Aredhel-sama." I turned up to glare at my seishi. His eyes were resolute as he stared back at me. But amidst all the resolve, there was a tinge of sadness.

"I see…" I moved away from the window.

"I-"

"Do I have any command over my seishi then, Nakago?"

"Yes, Aredhel-sama. You have the absolute com-"

"Then, Nakago…" I turned around to face my seishi. He regarded me with a wary stare…I smirked.

"I shalln't want any of my seishi to be a part of the war to come. You can go as the general. But the Seiryuu seishi Nakago will have to stay back." He did not speak.

"I will not fight against Hotohori, Nakago. Nor will I attest this 'war' as 'righteous'." I deadpanned and without another backward glance, walked out of the room.

* * *

I had been walking around the palace grounds aimlessly ever since I had walked out on Nakago. I wondered what he was doing right now. Was he as upset as I was? I shook my head as my frown settled in deeper. There was no way I was going to call on Seiryuu just so Khutou could kill innocent lives! If they wanted that wish granted, they would have to search for a new Miko!

And amidst all this thinking, I didn't observe where my feet were taking me. Suddenly there was the sound of a flute. The person playing it was very good at what he was doing for I soon forgot all thoughts and my mind was blissfully blank. Now, I walked towards the flute player, and as I turned a corner, a small courtyard burst into view. It was still raining and this person was seated on the parapet that separated the corridors from the courtyard. He didn't seem to have noticed me coming for he played on…And I stepped towards him noiselessly.

As the nocturne ended, he turned towards me. I smiled. He almost fell off the ledge as he hurried to get up.

"Oh please don't be startled! You played so beautifully! I am sorry I interrupted!" I hurried to apologize. He merely smiled as he lowered his head, rubbing his neck. He was embarrassed. When he straightened, I found myself in front of a boy of sixteen or so. His face still held tinges of a blush as he bowed.

"Greetings Miko-sama! I am so honoured to meet you!" my smile grew a little.

"As am I. What's your name?" He looked up at this and bowed once more.

"I am Amiboshi – I am one of the seven Seishi who are fortunate enough to serve you, Miko-sama!"

He was my seishi? Somewhere deep in my mind, there was a chorus of hallelujahs!

"Ah! Then I am honoured to have such a wonderful flautist for a seishi." His blush returned with added intensity!

"You are the most kind, Miko-sama!" He laughed nervously. And I got the idea; this boy hadn't been around women that very much. I took a step forward and extended my hand. He looked at me quizzically and then stared bemused at my hand. I took his hand and shook it. For a moment, he appeared confused but then slowly the smile resurfaced and he returned the hand shake earnestly.

When we released our hands, he was literally tearing his face open into a smile. It amused me.

"So, Amiboshi…when did you know you were a Seiryuu seishi?" He frowned as he tried to remember. And I figured that he had known it pretty early on.

"It was when I was seven or eight, Miko-sama. That was when our parents…were killed at war." His face fell a little.

"Oh…I'm sorry." I stammered. I really had a way of saying the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate of times! He shook his head as he smiled.

"Oh its okay, Miko-sama! Now that you are here, there won't be any more fighting! Khutou will finally be at peace. And prosperity will return." His earnestness smote my heart like he'd just hurled a baseball right into my chest.

"I'll do my best, Amiboshi." He smiled as he nodded.

"Oh… and when you were talking earlier… you made it sound like you had a sibling." I hoped his sibling was at least alive. Lest I do another 'foot-in-mouth' act!

"Oh that's my twin brother Suboshi. He's a Seiryuu Seishi too!" It was very much clear that the two were very close. I nodded smiling.

"So, where is Suboshi?" I turned around almost expecting a carbon copy of the boy next to me to come out of a corner, smiling.

"He's off on a mission under Lord Nakago's orders."

"Oh… I see." I said, a little disappointed.

"But Miko-sama needn't worry! He already knows you are here and that I am talking with you!"

"Oh... That's alright – what?" I looked around expecting to see some ancient version of a CCTV somewhere nearby. Amiboshi smiled amused and shook his head.

"Since we are twins, we are more closely bound than most siblings. And being Seiryuu seishi also helps."

I nodded as though I was in some class under some professor. He continued,

"And I can convey whatever I want to my brother as can him to me through this bond, Miko-sama."

"Ah…I see. So, how does it work?" I asked, my curiosity, now piqued. He raised his hand and showed me the wristband he wore. For a moment, I expected it to open up to reveal hi-tech gadgetry. But he merely shifted the sleeve of his tunic to show the skin above the wristband. He then traced complex symbols on the skin. I presumed he had traced Chinese Kanji on his arm. And then as I watched baffled, some symbols that were totally different from the ones he had traced appeared for a while before fading away. He laughed as he shook his head.

"What happened? Why are you laughing?"

His laughter softened a little as he turned to look at me,

"I'd informed my brother that Miko-sama was enquiring about him and he had the audacity to reply and warn me not to make passes at you until he had returned! He wants this to be an even competition and fears I hold an unfair advantage at the moment!"

"…." I stared blankly at the boy beside me.

His smile grew larger and soon he was laughing loudly, his hands clutching his sides as he struggled to hold himself straight. The more I saw this, the more the sides of my lips twitched. And soon, the both of us were laughing.

_Sigh… fifteen year old boys making passes at me…forty year old emperors flirting with me… what's next?_

"I hope Miko-sama is not offended!" he said suddenly, his laughter halted abruptly.

I smiled as I shook my head in denial.

"I'm not offended, Amiboshi. Not in the least." He smiled and the rest of our walk was in companionable silence.

No matter how I looked at it… my seishi were a little weird. But they were _My _seishi. I caught Amiboshi look at me with a hint of admiration in his eyes and smiled back at him. Yes… they were _my _seishi…

* * *

**Author's note:** Ta daaaaa! Another chapter's done and I must say, I am quite happy the way this one turned out. Please do review and let me know what you think, my dear readers!

Until the next chapter!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	14. Even Gods can have Doppelgängers

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** This is getting a little redundant! *unfurls parchment* I, Anarya of Lorien, claim no ownership over the story of Fushigi Yuugi or over any of the story's character. I only lay claim over Aredhel, who unfortunately happens to be my creation. So, let nobody say I'd didn't say so! Ai Elbereth! Are you people happy? *glares at attorney*

**Author's Notes:**

I'd like to thank the following reviewers! Thanks a bunch people! I love you all! *group huggle*

**Bronze Star: **Thank you so very much for the encouraging word! It means a lot!

**FallenAngelYen: **Here you go! Hope you like this one!

**Warrior-of-the-Flames: **Oh that's okay! I understand what a pain assignments can be! Am glad you're getting a break! :D

**Moirochi: **Yeah... but too bad he is an emperor and unlike what most people think, there is not much one can do against Royalty! Sad... but that's the fact. Sucks! And thanks for the review! Made my day! :)

**Lady Seiryu: **Updated! :D And hope you like this chapter!

**Aoihand: **I know what you mean! :D And am glad I didn't go down the beaten path! ;D Hope you like this chapter!

**Karina: **Awww... everyone loves Amiboshi! LOL personally I felt Watase-sensei overdid the 'seiryuu is evil' thing. But hey, she's boss! Enjoy this chapter!

**kt: **Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter!

**Luciana: **Here you go! Hope I didn't make you want for too long! :D

**Veronicastefan: **That's perfectly okay! I'm really honoured that people actually take the pains to review and let me know how I am doing! Thank you! And enjoy this chapter!

On with the story now! ^___^

* * *

**Note to self No.14:  
Even Gods can have Doppelgängers!**

The courtyard shone in the sunlight. I looked to my right to find the emperor, the one… the only… Shoukitei, grin at me from under what could only be described as a graduation hat! A graduation hat that had beaded tassels at the front and the back. I gave him a hesitant smile. He fingered his paunch as he turned to one of his _wives _who giggled at something he said and proceeded to rub his belly for him. If I thought he repulsed me, I was wrong. The man made me want to thrust a sword up his rear! My vision now turned to the people who had gathered up in the middle of the courtyard. Seven people…seven of my seishi. Suddenly there was a 'Whoosh' from the gong and everyone seated around the courtyard clapped and applauded. And I had not a clue as to what was going on.

"Your eminence," A minister now stood bowing in front of me. Weird how the same kind hated me to teensy-weensy bits back in Khonan! I smiled at the old man. He continued,

"The Seishi await your order to display their talents in front of you, Miko-sama. This is to assure you of the level of protection that you will have with them serving you, your eminence!" I nodded. Now I understood why I was here… but why call the whole of the city to come and watch? It seemed like the emperor liked to show off a lot.

There was another toll from the gong and silence reigned over the arena.

First came, Amiboshi. He held a flute in his hands and it surprised me. I thought seishi powers included fighting and martial arts. But then again… there was a lot about this world that I didn't yet comprehend and so, I remained silent.

It was then that I noticed that there were a few people who were placed before the seishi. People who were dressed in rags and who were chained to pegs nailed to the stone.

"Who are they?" I asked. The emperor snorted before replying,

"They are traitors. Treacherous bastards who deserve to die!" I didn't miss the contempt with which the emperor spat the words out. A sense of foreboding swam over me.

Amiboshi was now within a few yard's distance from the prisoners. The flow of serene tunes signaled that he had begun playing his flute. The prisoners looked on befuddled as did I.

"I don't think I understand." I said. There was another chuckle from the emperor as he nodded.

"Oh that boy loves to lull people into a false sense of security. You should wait and watch, girl."

_Girl? What the hell?!_

I turned to glare at Amiboshi who was now in the middle of a difficult rendition of the flute. But for some reason, the prisoners didn't seem to enjoy it. They were now writhing in pain as one by one, they all fell to the ground, clutching their heads. Something was definitely wrong. I turned to the emperor who had gotten back to rubbing his belly, taking in all that happened with apparent satisfaction.

"Just what is going on there?" I asked, aware that my voice sounded stern and trembled a little. The emperor's reply was just a laugh. The prisoners were now screaming. I wasn't aware of getting up from where I sat. The emperor stopped his belly rubbing to give me a calculating look from head to toe. I was openly glaring at him.

"Make him stop."

He laughed again.

"Why does it concern you so much what happens to traitors, Miko-sama?" one man asked and I could discern from his armor that he was another general in the army.

"This is cruel. Stop it now, your majesty."

The emperor chuckled.

"I'm afraid nothing I say will be heard. Why do you think we're still alive? A barrier has been placed around the dais and the audience to protect us from the power of the seishi. And I should say… it is quite terrible to behold, Miko."

_A barrier?! _I turned around to find the prisoners silent. But Amiboshi still didn't stop playing. That only meant that the prisoners were near dead.

"Will you not stop it?"

The emperor sneered as he shook his head, "I told you before didn't I? The barriers will be lifted only after the whole affair is over. I'll suggest you sit back and – hey! Seiryuu no Miko!"

I didn't dally behind to listen to what nonsense the emperor was sprouting. I was busy sprinting towards the open courtyard. I had to save those prisoners. And as I left the stands and stepped into the courtyard, I realized what the emperor meant by _terrible to behold. _

Suddenly, the melody morphed into jarring, discordant noises that clanged against my head, making it seem as though someone was hacking my brains open! I raised a hand towards Amiboshi who played on with closed eyes.

"A…Amiboshi…p….ple…ase!" And soon, I sank into darkness.

* * *

"_Why did you do it, Aredhel?" I opened my eyes to stare right into Seiryuu's. I screamed as I backed away a little. I was back to the many pillared halls where I had met the dragon the second time. I was now lying on the floor with the dragon god crouched beside me._

"_Phew! You scared me there for a moment there, mister!" I clutched my heart. He only smiled._

"_Why did you risk your own life back there?" He lifted an eyebrow. I frowned as I tried to comprehend what he was talking about and then everything came crashing back._

"_Shit! Those people! Amiboshi's flute! I need to stop them! Or else they'll die!" I scurried up to a stand. Seiryuu shook his head, as though he was amused._

"_You've already stopped him...what with your stunt like that… you could have died!"_

_I lowered my eyes to the marble floors below._

"_Well… there was little else I could do! The barriers made it impossible for me to call out to him!" I squared my hands and huffed._

_Seiryuu said nothing. And then,_

"_I see…"_

_I looked up to find the dragon deep in thought._

"_And just so you know, I personally think Khutou is doomed. The emperor's a joke, the people desire nothing more that war, they enjoy taking lives away like there's nothing more enjoyable than that….I could go on! Why would anyone want to save such a horrendous place?!"_

_The dragon mused, "Why indeed!"_

_Suddenly a mirror appeared out of nowhere. _

"_Okaaaay… what are you trying to pull here, Mr. Seiryuu?" I asked suspiciously._

_The dragon merely smiled and waved his hand over the mirror's surface and it started to smoke over._

"_Waitaminute! Is it like those magical mirrors that allow you to view anything you want? Can I view the future? I'd love to know what grades I'll be getting, seeing that I'm missing what seems like a whole semester!"_

"_Aredhel…" the dragon sounded amused and tired. I smiled sheepishly as I mumbled a sorry._

_Once the mirror's surface became stoic again, I found myself gazing at an abandoned field… many bodies were littered around the vegetation. It looked like a huge massacre had happened. And then suddenly, there were two boys… both of them looked identical. One of them was crying over a dead man while another sat, dazed, next to a dead woman._

"_Are they…" I looked up at Seiryuu. He neither smiled nor frowned._

"_Are they Amiboshi and Subo…" my sentence trailed._

_The mirror smoked over…and I beheld a golden statue of Seiryuu surrounded by a stream._

"_This is my shrine. Go there… you will know more…understand more."_

"_Aredhel…I shall await you there…"_

"_Aredhel…"_

"Aredhel! Aredhel!" I woke up with a jolt to find Soi cradling my head as she attempted to wake me up.

"Uh… Soi…what happened?"

Her face broke into a relieved smile as she hugged my head to her chest.

When she released my head to glare at me, I didn't miss the tears that formed.

"Please don't do such silly an antic again, Aredhel-sama!"

I smiled weakly as I nodded. I looked round to find myself in the same courtyard. I was surrounded by ministers, the Emperor, Nakago, Amiboshi, Suboshi and random people I didn't know (one of them even had a freakily painted face)…I looked up at Soi.

"Can we take this convention inside?" She laughed, nodding.

* * *

I let out a relieved sigh as I lay down on my bed and Soi arranged my coverlets around me. Just then, the emperor walked in followed by Nakago and some other random people (including the one with the painted face).

"Miko…why ever did you do that silly stunt? Do you not realize you need to be alive to summon Seiryuu? Or have you taken leave of your senses?" I heard the emperor scold. I merely glared at my coverlets.

"Bah! To think that our guardian deity would entrust the safety of our country in the hands of someone so careless!"

"Your majesty…Miko-sama is a valued person… should we not-" I heard someone mumble.

"Don't order me as to what I am to do and what I shouldn't, fool!" the emperor's voice rose.

There were footsteps and then I felt someone yank my face up by force. I was staring at the pallid face of the emperor.

"Look here, girl. I do not care who you are or who you are not! Personally I do not give a horse's ass if the Seiryuu no Miko appears or not! I will have my way with things. And if I am to do it without the Miko and her precious seishi, so be it!"

He left the hold he had over my jaw. It hurt a little but for the pride in me, I didn't flinch. I merely glared at the emperor.

"Your majesty!" one of the ministers exclaimed. But the emperor did not stick around to hear the rest of the lecture. He had already left the room and the ministers followed him after giving me apologetic glances.

There was silence once more…

Someone had covered my trembling hands with their own. I looked at them to find Soi's hands adorned with gauntlets rubbing my knuckles gently.

"I hate it here."

Nobody replied. I looked up to find Nakago look at me with the same stoic expression. For some reason, that infuriated me.

"You heard him! He doesn't need a Miko! And I personally feel no god can save this wretched place!" I was aware that my throat had a weird burning sensation and I was having great difficulty in keeping the tremble out of my voice. Soi's grip on my hand got tighter.

"Take me to the shrine, Nakago." His expression flickered into bemusement for a minute before he nodded.

"And bring all my seishi there. I am sure all of them have been summoned. We need to be introduced."

"Yes Aredhel-sama."

* * *

The walk to the shrine was in total silence. I was aware that Nakago and Soi both had things to tell me. But none of us talked and soon, we stood in front of the shrine doors. I smiled involuntarily as I remembered the last time I had stood in front of a shrine's doors. I turned to Nakago,

"Open the doors, Nakago." I still felt a little weak after the incident in the courtyard but I needed to enter the shrine. If Seiryuu himself considered it important that I visited this place, it had to be done.

The doors creaked open and the burnished statue of Seiryuu soon loomed into our sight. There was a 'certain splendour' in the way Seiryuu stood there, one of his talons clutching a globe, fire sprouting in delicate swirls from his flared nostrils, his scales glistening in the rays of light that fell on him from above. It was exactly like how I had seen it in my vision. Even the stream that surrounded the idol was exactly like what I'd envisioned.

"So… this is Seiryuu…" I breathed as I slowly walked towards the statue. I turned around to find Nakago and Soi kneeling before me. Or maybe it was before Seiryuu! Five more people walked into the shrine. Nakago stood up and turned to the five.

"These are your Seishi, Aredhel-sama. They have all been summoned as you had requested."

I nodded as I walked up to them. I observed that one of them was really huge and really '_really' _hairy! He growled as our eyes met revealing sharp canines… I shuddered. Then, I turned to Amiboshi and Suboshi who grinned though I could see a tinge of guilt in the flautist's eyes.

"Hello! I guess most of you must know this already. I am Aredhel. I am the Seiryuu no Miko." I smiled. All seven of them sank into a bow as I said this. It was all it took to make me panic!

I jumped back a step,

"Oh please! Get up! I'm honoured to have your respects. Please get up!"

And thank god, they rose from the bow. For some reason, I wanted friends right now. And to be treated as the high and unapproachable Miko felt a tad bit asphyxiating… I now realized how he must have felt. I knew it was silly of me. But that lump in my throat returned and my eyes stung as I thought of Hotohori.

One by one they introduced themselves. I learnt that the one with the painted face was Tomo and his specialty was illusions. The huge one was Aishitare and he was half were-wolf and it did unsettle me a little when he greeted my smile with a growl. Nakago had quickly intervened, saying that Aishitare had never actually held 'conversations' with anyone before.

_That much I figured! Just my luck! My own seishi attempts to kill me!_

Miboshi was an old man, his eyes roving over my face as I smiled at him. He let out an 'Hmmph' as he shook my hand. He apparently was a black magician. Soi could control lightning and 'ki'…whatever that was! Amiboshi could heinously injure people with his flute – as I had experienced firsthand. He smiled a little embarrassed as I came to him.

"I am very sorry, Miko-sama…I-"

"Don't worry about it, Amiboshi." I brushed his apology aside and turned to his twin brother. He stared at me as he extended his hand.

"I am Suboshi, Miko-sama." I nodded.

"I've heard. So what can you do? Chop down ten people at once? Kill an entire village? Upturn peaceful mountains? Lay fertile plains to waste?" I was aware that a small amount of bitterness had crept into my voice and Suboshi seemed to have noticed it too for he lowered his eyes and said nothing.

I exhaled a little,

"I am sorry, Suboshi…so… what can you do?"

He raised his eyes and suddenly there was a strange humming in the air. And before I knew it, the rope that was tied around Suboshi's waist, 'sprang up' to life and encircled him loosely. There were two balls that whirred and span around at the ends.

"Okaaaay….erm…. interesting!" I commented, not knowing what else to say.

"My powers are basically psychokinesis, Miko-sama."

"Ah! I see." It was now clear what those balls were for. And now that I observed, those balls had sharp edges running around them in spirals. Surely for cutting through things…

And then I came to Nakago. He stood silent and stoic. Ever since the discussion about the war on my first day here, he wasn't being that free. And it bothered me more than I showed out.

"And what can you do, Nakago…?"

His gaze was unwavering. Suddenly, I could feel the air around us crackle. A symbol was slowly forming in the middle of Nakago's forehead… a symbol that I recognized – Kokoro…heart.

As he extended his hand, something blue glowed at the tip of his fingers. It gradually grew in size until it was the size of a soccer ball. And then, with a low whine, it leapt from his hands and into the wall opposite. There was a very loud bang followed by a rain of debris. When the dust did settle down, there was a gaping hole in the wall where the weird light had made contact.

I was awestruck. No… I was more than awestruck… I stared at Nakago, my mouth open like I'd never seen him before. He casually closed my mouth and smirked. I started back to reality, trying with no success to clear my mind of the incident that had happened a few minutes before.

"I hope that clears Aredhel-sama's doubts?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes it does!" I stated and returned his smirk with a weak smile of my own. It occurred to me how each of the seishi had powers that would only be good in combat. Why couldn't I have a seishi who was super intelligent or a super healer? I turned to glare at the statue of Seiryuu. Oh that dragon! How the hell was I supposed to work out peace when my own seishi brandished nukes from their fingertips?!

I laughed weakly. "Now isn't this a better way to introduce ourselves? What a waste it would've been if all those people had died!" Nobody laughed or even smiled.

_Riiight… my seishi were surely peace-loving folk! Oh brother!_

The glisten on Seiryuu's idol caught my eye.

"I guess we should pray to Seiryuu-sama before we leave?"

They all nodded and walked behind me towards the idol.

I sighed as I closed my eyes in contemplation.

"Welcome, Seiryuu no Miko!" A voice resonated around the room. I started and opened my eyes to find nobody but the seishi, myself and the idol in that room.

"I…I think… Seiryuu-sama…he…" I heard Suboshi stutter.

Now that he mentioned it, there was an odd gleam in the idol's eyes.

"It is I, Seiryuu, the guardian deity of Khutou." I gaped as I heard the gleam brighten and fade and then brighten again with every word that was spoken.

Someone screamed and I had strong suspicions that it had been Tomo.

Something felt out of place. I turned to my left and nearly screamed myself! Seiryuu was standing right beside me, glaring at the idol.

_Wait… if you're here… then who's there over there?!_

I turned to gape at the idol, beads of sweat already forming on my brow. Something was horrendously wrong! And I had to find out what.

* * *

**Author's Note:** There you go, folks! For those who've read Nakago's novel, you'll know where I'm taking this! And for the others, ah you'll know soon enough! MWAHAHAHA!!! Ahem…thanks for reading! Do review and let me know what you think! Until next time,

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	15. An idol's only an idol!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I shall hereby declare that I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters in that series. They all belong to Yuu Watase. But I do lay claim over Aredhel, who happens to be a creation of mine. If somebody wishes to use her…do they? Really? Who needs a Topology Student anyway?... they need to ask me first as being her creator, I rule supreme! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!! Ahem… okay… on with the story!

**Author's Notes: **

Hello there folks! Most of you might not know of it... but there's a war going on in Sri Lanka. And a lot of people are getting the short end of the rope there. If you could pray for the civilians who are stuck there (any other form of help will also be appreciated!), I'm sure it will mean a lot to the ones suffering there! Now, on with the story!

I'd like to thank the following reviewers! Thanks a bunch people! I love you all! *group huggle*

**Veronicastefan:** Thank you for the favs and I hope you like this chapter! :D

**kt:** Aww... Thank you! And enjoy!

**hermonine:** Ah! Hisashiburi desu ne! It's great to hear from you again! Hope you like the new chappie!

**luciana: **I know what you mean about the emperor of Khutou... Oh well... hopefully things will work out for our Aredhel! Hope you like this chapter!

**sophie-21:** I've updated! And do let me know what you think!

**karina****:** Here you go! Hope you like it!

**Lady Seiryu:** Oh yes! You will know what is happening in your domain... Don't you worry, milady! Oh... while you're at it, can you please get me some of Seiryu's Chocolate pocky? He refuses to share!

**Warrior-of-the-Flames:** Ah! procastination... such a wonder word! LOL I'm doing the same here! Got loads of reports to write and I'm only halfway through! Hang in there! The best is yet to come! ;D

**Miorochi:** And your questions will be answered... She'll soon find out ne...;D

**Aoihand:** believe me, I'm always glad to have the approval of my readers! :D And hope you like this installment just as well!

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.15:  
An idol's only an idol!**

I drew breath laboriously as I stood there before the idol, my fists clenched close…

I then turned to my left once more… hoping that perhaps Seiryuu wasn't there… perhaps I was hallucinating? Perhaps I needed a good bonk up the head? But when I did turn my eyes to the left, I found Seiryuu standing there, his glare suggesting he was not happy with whoever… or whatever was occupying his place in the shrine.

_This cannot be!_

Seiryuu must've heard what I thought, being a God, and smiled bitterly.

"_I am afraid it is so, Miko."_

I turned to stare at my seishi wondering if any of them had heard Seiryuu speak. They were still mutely staring at the idol and at the imposter who resided within. They weren't able to hear him?! I glanced back at the dragon god, wondering what was going to happen.

"_It is not I who is being worshipped here anymore… and the blind cannot be taught to see." _And with that, he vanished.

"Aredhel-sama, aren't you praying?" I heard Soi ask.

I nodded as I turned towards the idol once more.

_I know you are not Seiryuu and I do not offer my respects to you… whoever you are!_

I barely tilted my head downwards and the next moment, I turned around. The last thing I wanted was to be seen worshipping this _thing_!

And soon, we were out of the shrine.

"What did you pray for, Aredhel-sama?" Suboshi now walked beside me. He was smiling.

"Ah… what else would I pray for? For peace to prevail in all four lands, of course!"

Someone coughed at this and when I turned back, I found Tomo trying a little too hard to control his mirth. I sighed. If I expected my seishi to accept my idea for peace between Khonan and Khutou, I would be expecting too much… too soon. But then again, I was the Seiryuu no Miko. They could not gainsay what I proposed. And I was glad for the first time that my word would be the ultimate decision.

_Or so I hope!_

"Your Eminence, you do jest well!" Tomo had spoken.

"Oh do I, Tomo? Why thank you! Humor does lighten one's burden, they say! But I'm very serious about peace to prevail, my friend!" I turned back and winked at him, earning an irritated stare. I knew he wanted me to be irked. But I couldn't afford to let my seishi have any reasons to stop co-operating.

"Nakago." The general turned as he heard his name. I smiled at him.

"Maybe you could have dinner with me? It would be awfully lonely having dinner alone!"

His stare was a calculating one. I wondered what went on behind those cerulean eyes. He was silent for a while before replying,

"It would be an honor, Aredhel-sama." He bowed.

I nodded satisfied and turned to the corridor to the left. If there was one thing that being in Hotohori's palace taught me, it was to identify corridors and rooms quickly in this maze of a palace. And Shoukitei had gone through great pains to make this palace as grand as possible!

I then turned to Soi only to find her sad and her eyes downcast. This caused my brows to shoot up.

"Soi… are you alright?" I asked her. She started back to reality before fixing her gaze upon me.

"It is nothing, Aredhel-sama." She cast her eyes downwards again and sighed.

There was something that seemed to bother her and I wanted to know what.

"Say… Soi… could you accompany Nakago for dinner? I would dearly like to know how you met each other before I came! On second thought, I want all the seishi to come if possible."

"Er…Miko-sama, I am afraid I need to perform for the emperor tonight!" Tomo cooed. I smiled as I nodded,

"That is okay, Tomo-san! Maybe some other time then!"

"Miko-sama, I do not think you should tax yourself so. Arranging a meeting tonight will be a little too much on your health. Right after the incident in the morning, you need rest."

I smiled at the shogun who had spoken.

"Your concern over my health is really amicable, Nakago. Oh well… then Soi and Nakago shall be free at least?"

The seishi remained silent as Nakago nodded in acquiescence.

"Much better! Maybe the 'boshi's can have dinner with me tomorrow? You know… dinner with the Miko! We could chat and get to know each other better ne?" I smiled at Amiboshi who blushed and rubbed his neck.

I was aware of how Tomo and Miboshi glared at the young seishi.

_Sigh… achieving harmony is going to be a loooooong process, isn't it!_

* * *

Dinner with the Miko…_Idiot!_

I mentally smacked myself as I stared at the plate in front of me. The shogun sat beside me and Soi on my other side! It had been an hour since they'd come and the most uncomfortable silence still reigned over us.

Soi kept giving Nakago furtive glances every now and then and Nakago seemed really interested in what was on his plate.

I sighed…

"Nakago, keep staring at your plate for much longer and your olives would sprout legs and run away!" I stated wryly. He merely chuckled as he placed his chopsticks down.

"What else does Aredhel-sama suggest I do?"

I smiled as I replied earnestly, "Second helpings anyone?" And as though summoned, a maid servant appeared out of nowhere, ready to serve the rice. It was a good thing I was used to this kind of appearances…

Nakago shook his head as he took up his goblet.

"I have had my fill, thank you."

I smiled as I turned to Soi.

She nodded meekly and allowed the servant girl to serve her some rice. As the girl was about to vanish again, I called out,

"Thank you, Meilin!" She gasped as she bowed low and retreated with a visible light footedness in her steps.

"Your eminence seems to indulge rather too much in the servants and their welfare!" Nakago stated albeit sardonically.

I shrugged as I took up my own goblet and sipped from it.

"They are not my slaves, Nakago. They merely work for me for a wage the emperor pays. And I daresay he doesn't pay them much. They are independent people who make up this country. And they are the ones I should be protecting. They are the purpose of my existence. So… I think it's rather a required protocol that I treat them with respect."

I raised my goblet in a toast.

"Your eminence thinks in ways that are quite alien to us." Soi's voice sounded softly. I smiled. Who was I kidding if I thought they'd appreciate my democratic opinions so quickly and without complains?

"And it seems there are many old ways that need to be changed, Soi." I smiled.

Soi did smile back but I did not miss the dark look that was forming on the Shogun's face.

* * *

There were fireworks exploding in the night sky as I walked out to my balcony.

"Celebrations?" I mused only to hear Nakago chuckle.

"It is for you, Aredhel-sama… to celebrate your arrival…" I was a little taken aback as I heard that!

"To celebrate my arrival?"

He merely nodded. There were sounds of exhalation from beside me. I turned to look at the shogun beside me. He seemed tired… his hair was still as glorious as I had ever remembered, he still carried himself with the pride of a snow leopard… but still… he seemed tired. And it surprised me when I noticed that I could read this man so much more than I could read Hotohori. Was it because of the bond we shared?

"Nakago…" he turned to give me his trademark look. One that was as stoic as the faces of the mountains.

Silence dragged for a while. A smile slowly crept up his face as he fully turned to face me.

I smiled a little embarrassed. I didn't know what I would tell him. But I just needed to talk to someone… And for some reason, I felt Nakago would be the best person to do that.

"Aredhel-sama is tired." He stated. I nodded.

"You must rest. I shall leave you now." He'd turned to go when I grabbed onto one corner of his cape. His footsteps drew to a halt as I tugged at it. I looked down a little down as I clutched onto the cape even tighter. Someone sighed and Nakago was walking back towards me.

I looked up to find him staring at me. But I found myriad emotions in those eyes that day. I'd just expected him to be smiling a little amused… or a little angry even! But he stood there, staring at the cape and my hand with a tinge of sadness and confusion.

And it struck me. Even after the fiasco that was 'Dinner with Miko', I hardly knew anything about him. And I needed to know his past… I had been complaining that I was feeling lonely. But one look at the shogun and I suddenly realized… I wasn't the loneliest.

I smiled as I walked up to him and left the hold I had over his cloak. He still stared at me, confused.

"Good night, Nakago…" I reached up to hug him, and he bent down to return the hug.

It wasn't a hug that was shared between lovers… nor one between siblings… It was something out of this world and it brought me peace – almost like all my sorrows were dissipating into the night air! When we broke up, I smiled up at the shogun and for some reason; I couldn't keep the tears away.

"Aredhel-sama… what is the-?"

"It's nothing, Nakago." I stroked his hands that I still had in my grasp.

"Thank you, Nakago. I'm glad we could talk." I did realize my voice was clearer and more cheery. He lowered his eyes as though he didn't want me to see what ran in his mind. But I couldn't care less at the moment. Slowly I shall win over all my seishi… we would be a family. I would save Khutou. And save it from the imposter who now resided in the shrine.

It was a surprise what a small gesture like a hug could do to people. It would be many days before I would begin to understand just how much!

* * *

**Author's Note:** That brings us to the end of yet another chapter folks! I found the moment between the Shogun and the Miko a joy to write! ^__^! So many emotions! So many secrets… Oh! LOL I might just write a fic where Nakago is the central character…wait… he is the central character here ne? Oh well! Wait and watch how the story shall unfold! And keep those reviews coming! ;D

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien


	16. Attention to history lessons pays!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I shall hereby declare that I do not own Fushigi Yuugi or any of the characters in that series. They all belong to Yuu Watase. But I do lay claim over Aredhel, who happens to be a creation of mine. If somebody wishes to use her…do they? Really? Who needs a Topology Student anyway?... they need to ask me first as being her creator, I rule supreme! MWAHAHAHAHA! Ahem… okay… on with the story!

**Author's Notes:** My sincerest apologies to my dear readers! I haven't been the best in terms of updates, I know! But owing to certain trying personal circumstances that has taught me the impermanence of all things; I haven't been able to write. It was only recently that I started wielding the proverbial mantle once more. I surely hope there are still people who haven't given up on this story and would like to assure them that I shalln't be so erratic in updating again. I'd like to sincerely thank all the reviewers and readers who had read and reviewed the story when I wasn't updating and those who have deemed me worthy enough to be one of their favorites. You guys inspired me to get back here!

On with the story now!

* * *

**Note to self No.16: **

**Attention to history lessons pays!**

_The room was silent. I stood there, silent, as the howling of the wind droned on… in a steady rhythm._

_Where was I? I was sure this was not the hall in my visions where I'd met Seiryuu many times before. This room had an eerie quality to it._

_"Welcome, Miko." I started as the silken voice rang out of nowhere. I turned around to face what I thought was the source of the voice._

_And before me, the golden statue of Seiryuu gleamed. I gasped. Was it really Seiryuu there? And if it was so, why didn't he appear the way he normally did and why did my heart's pace fasten up in anxiety._

_As though answering my myriad queries, a purple – almost black light emanated from the idol and when the room had dulled back to its eerie self, I found myself in front of one of the strangest men I had ever seen._

_His golden eyes gleamed as he smiled in what was supposed to be a reassuring gesture. But for some reason, I did not feel so reassured. He wore long robes in black and purple. Definitely not the colour scheme of Seiryuu!_

_"And who are you?" I asked, aware that my voice trembled. His smile waxed into a smirk._

_"I am God."_

I jerked awake as I looked around to find myself back in my room. Morning had barely dawned and the silence of the night before still weighed down heavily. That was quite some dream!

I pushed myself up on my elbows and looked around in the semi-darkness. Yep! It would dawn soon. A sigh escaped as I fell back into the warm confines of my bed.

"Aredhel, you're slowly losing it, girl!" I muttered angrily as I got up once more. But this time, I had no intention of going back to sleep. The moment the covers came off, the cold morning breeze stung my skin. I shivered as I threw the silken coat I usually discarded for sleep back on and hugged myself for extra warmth.

Things were not as they seemed and knowing the state the country was in, I was beginning to suspect if that weird man in my dreams was somehow responsible for the whole 'ruin of Khutou as we know it' thing!

But before I could dwell anymore on the issue, there was a knock at my door.

"Miko-sama, I sense you're up. May I enter, your eminence?" I rolled my eyes heavenwards. Some people never learn!

"Yes, Meilin." I drawled. The door slid open to reveal my girl servant. She was quite the pretty one! But for some reason, she found it extremely mortifying to refer to me as anything other than 'Miko-sama' or 'Aredhel-sama' or her all time favorite, 'Your eminence'. Khutou wasn't exactly the next hot seat for Democracy! Of that much, I was sure!

It must have been a week or two since I'd first escaped from the dungeons of Khonan. And every time I thought of Khonan, a particular emperor's face flashed before my eyes. I wondered if he was back from the borders yet… if he'd noticed I was missing… if he was panicking about it. I chuckled a little when I thought of Hotohori walking to and fro in his chambers, berating his ministers for the kind of treatment they'd meted out to me and probably thinking of some way to get me back. But wait! I was the Seiryuu no Miko. And I was in the land of Seiryuu now where I truly belonged. I doubted if I would ever get to see Hotohori again… I felt my heart clench up a little as I thought of things in this 'more practical' light.

I looked around to find Meilin laying out my ensemble for the day… bringing such nostalgic memories of another girl in her place… one whose trust I so endearingly earned. But somehow, there seemed to be some invisible barrier between me and the people here. As though something still troubled them even though their Miko was here to save them. And I had distinct doubts that the colour that tainted their nightmares was purple.

* * *

Amiboshi… the boy with the flute. He smiled at me every time he spoke… if people hadn't known he could actually crack people's skull open with his music, they would think he was quite the nice chap. But the problem was… he was nice. And right now, he was accompanying me to the library.

"Your eminence is very learned, I heard." He smiled.

"Oh believe me, Amiboshi, I cannot read anything from this world. I'm sure a five year old is smarter than me in that aspect!"

He chuckled. "Aredhel-sama is indeed modest."

It took every ounce of determination not to roll my eyes heavenward. I was still on a high pedestal and they just refused to let me down!

"Say, Amiboshi… have you ever heard of any legends concerning…er…. How do I put this… the origin of the four gods?"

Amiboshi turned to look at me bemused as he shook his head.

"I don't know much about such ancient matters, Aredhel-sama. But I've heard it being told that the Four Gods were actually brethren and were the children of the Ruler of the universe. I'm afraid that's all I know."

"Ruler of the Universe, eh? Do you know what they call this person?" And I knew the answer from the blank stare he was fixing me with!

Throwing my seishi a smile, I walked beside him, my mind still in a muddle concerning my dream that morning.

"We're here, milady."

I started out of my reverie to find ourselves standing in front of a huge building.

"This is the Court Library. I'm sure you'll find whatever you are seeking here." He smiled and turned to stand beside the door, telling me that he wasn't going to follow me inside. I knew this was because he wanted to give me the privacy he thought I'd appreciate. And for that one thought, I could've hugged him tightly. At least one of my seishi was not a bad person at heart!

Inside the building were rows upon rows of scrolls, all rolled up in clean muslin and arranged in what weird logic this world followed! And I knew being here by myself, I would hardly accomplish anything. The last time I tried to read something written by the people here, I had landed myself in more trouble than I ever wanted!

"Er… Amiboshi?" I called out.

"Yes, milady?" I turned around to see his head poking out of the corner he'd stationed himself in.

"I actually can't read the books here. Erm… er… you know…" I looked around, shuffling my feet. He stared at me, surprised and then sniggered a little.

"Well… well… that is a problem. I can't read that well either." He completed sheepishly.

"Then mayhap I can help your eminence?" I started as I heard the new voice from right in front of me. It was a lady… maybe thirty years old, with an air of stateliness.

"You may call me the chief librarian Zhang Mei."

She smiled as though she understood what I was thinking.

"I should say, you shalln't find any other like me in this country, your eminence. There are very few learned women…" she smiled a little, "but I daresay I am boasting too much!"

I laughed a little as I realized, it would be extremely embarrassing to answer that question.

She walked closer towards us, "What is it that her eminence wishes to know?"

"Well… actually, I wanted to know how the four gods came into being… I thought, perhaps there would be some scroll on it here… but you see, I cannot read the script so well…" I trailed off, smiling sheepishly. She merely smiled as she nodded.

"I'm sure we can find something of relevance to her eminence's interests. But not here…" she motioned to the scrolls around us. "These scrolls are on medicinal herbs."

With that, she whisked around and proceeded towards where, I presumed the answers lay. I smiled a little embarrassed as Amiboshi and I followed her.

* * *

Two hours later, Zhang Mei had located two scrolls which she deemed would answer our queries. Seated in one of the chairs with some heavenly jasmine tea and dango, I waited for her to begin. She was frowning at one of the open scrolls as her eyes ran over the writing swiftly.

"You must know that the four gods are in origin, brethren?" her eyes snapped up and for some reason, I felt like a school kid in front of the principal. I smiled nervously as I nodded my head before adding hastily,

"But that is all I know! Some Miko I make, huh?"

She smiled as she shook her head. "That is not a problem, your eminence. You see, your duty is more of a medium between Seiryuu and the people. Why should you concern yourself about the other three gods in the first place?"

"Well… I would like to know more about Seiryuu. You know… I am his priestess and it would be an insult if I did not know at least his origin… don't you think so?"

Her smile grew into gentle laughter as she nodded. "Yes indeed! Then I shall not question her eminence's decision to be enlightened on the origins of the holy one again!" She spread the scroll on the table between us and beckoned me closer. The parchment inside had four seals for the four corners of a diamond. I was aware of Suzaku and Seiryuu… the phoenix and the dragon.

"Having been to Khonan, I'm sure her eminence knows of Suzaku the crimson phoenix? Yes?" She continued as I nodded, "What her eminence might not have known is that Suzaku is also the God of summer and the element of Fire."

"Hah! Figures… phoenix and all!" I chuckled, hoping to hear her laugh as well. But she just stared at the scroll before moving on.

"Seiryuu is the god of spring and the element of Wood."

I looked up at this. "Strange! Seeing that he's a blue dragon, I was thinking his element would be water!"

She kept her eyes to the scroll, "Did you, now?" She looked up to smile, "The God who controls Water and the season of winter is Genbu. He's a black tortoise. He is the guardian god of the Northern kingdom of Hokkan. And to the west, the guardian god of Sairou… Byakko. He is the white tiger and is also the god of Autumn and the element of Metal." Her fingers stayed longer on the seal of Byakko before she removed them and looked up at me.

"My mother was from Sairou… it is a beautiful country."

I smiled as I nodded.

She let out a sigh before continuing, "Now, though the four gods seem to have four distinct personas and four distinct cardinal directions and countries to preside over, it was never always like this. In the very beginning of time, there was a ruler…he brought order out of chaos and birthed the four gods. It is said that he appears as a yellow dragon and resides somewhere in the middle of the four kingdoms. Though, truth be told, nobody has seen him."

"I see… So, if the four gods were brethren, why do they fight?"

There was silence as she looked down at the scroll and her lips slowly smiled.

"Does her eminence strongly believe it is the gods that fight?"

I didn't answer. Her smile widened as she rolled the scroll close and turned towards the other one.

"Sometimes, the answer is much too evident but very few have the courage to accept it. I know that Khutou is on its way to destruction… the royal ones have never truly understood the world outside the palace and sadder yet, they have never tried. If her eminence knows of the black deeds that the people of this kingdom are guilty of having done, I wonder if she would still be willing to save us all!"

She got up from where she sat, scroll in hand, and walked towards one of the latticed windows. I knew she was expecting an answer from the way the pause lengthened.

"I am sure nobody is truly evil… I believe there is redemption for most of us."

"Your eminence truly believes that?" her tone was skeptic.

"I would like to." I replied, honestly.

She turned around with a smile, "Then, for everybody's sake, I hope your eminence is right." She looked at the other scroll in her hand.

"And so, let us get back to the history of the four gods…and of this country."

* * *

By the time I was done with the history lessons of the morning, my head was reeling! No wonder I was always awed by all those History majors who casually remembered the gazillion dates and names of a gazillion different events! There were a few other things that Zhang Mei had mentioned…things that greatly disturbed me. I was thinking about the very same when,

"I didn't know there was this much to the story, Aredhel-sama!" Amiboshi seemed just as baffled.

I smiled as I nodded. Yep, there were so many things that were clearer now. I had also come to know that Khutou had tried to thwart the summoning of the guardian beasts of Hokkan and Sairou but to no avail. The ambition of total domination seemed to run in the family of the royal ones of Khutou. That thought brought about the image of the emperor of Khutou – a man who would show no mercy to those under him. I still didn't know how I would evade his plans for the summoning. Surely, he would have me wish for Khonan to fall…or worse, to seal away Suzaku for eternity. That would leave the country open to Khutou's attacks without the powers of Suzaku and his seven warriors offering any resistance whatsoever.

"Amiboshi, if you were given a chance to ask Seiryuu for one thing, what would you wish for?" I asked, as we turned another corner towards my room. My companion looked up at my question and I could see that he was surprised.

"Miko-sama! Me of all people? In front of the great Seiryuu-seikun?" I smiled as I slowed my pace to a halt for he had stopped behind me.

Turning around, I found Amiboshi looking at me with wide eyes.

"If you were given a chance, Amiboshi… I'd like to know what you would wish for. And please… nothing as vague and general as everlasting prosperity for Khutou… what would you wish for yourself?"

He lowered his eyes to the floor.

"I don't know."

"Hmmm… let me know when you do, Amiboshi. I'd really like to know."

He smiled at this and nodded. And we resumed our trail back to my rooms.

The moment I neared my rooms, I saw Nakago waiting for me there. His back was turned to me and he was deep in conversation with my maid. He wasn't that bad looking a guy. As a matter of fact, he was quite the handsome one. Maybe not the same type of handsome as Hotohori… but a different sort of grace and beauty exuded from him. When we were within earshot, he turned around and bowed.

I smiled. I knew a lot of women who would die to be with this guy!

"Hello there, Nakago!" I smiled as I walked up to him and reached up to pat his shoulder. He lowered his head in a slight bow once more.

"Good morning, Aredhel-sama. I was wondering if you were feeling well, not having seen you since dawn."

"Oh, that's so considerate of you, Nakago! I'm doing great, thank you! As a matter of fact, I needed certain clarifications from you. It must be Seiryuu's will that we meet as soon as I thought of a meeting!"

His eyes clouded over with confusion for a flickering moment before the stoic expression returned.

"Yes, Aredhel-sama. I am at your service."

My smile waxed a little as I entered the room and beckoned him to follow. I had come to learn a lot from Zhang Mei… and I would need to know more if I were to hope for cooperation from my own seishi…I would need to understand them better.

I smiled at Meilin who bowed from inside the room and turned to Nakago once we were near the coffee table.

"Care for some tea, Nakago?"

Meilin didn't even wait for an instruction but bustled away to bring refreshments for the both of us.

Nakago merely pulled a chair away for me to sit. I thanked him for it and asked him to sit down opposite me. Once we were seated and had fragrant jasmine tea in cups before us, I turned to regard my seishi. He merely placed his elbows on the table and looked up at me.

"What is it that Miko-sama requires clarifications on?"

I smiled and began confidently, though I had no idea how he would react when he heard what I was to say next.

"Nakago, I am asking you this because you are one of the most highly placed generals in the emperor's army."

He nodded, urging me to continue. I paused for a while.

"Do you have any knowledge on an order of genocide that the emperor had issued against certain tribes that resided here in Khutou?" I could see that there was a subtle change in the colour of his face. It had lost some of its colour. I continued.

"I am particularly interested in one of the tribes known as the Hin."

For the first time ever, I saw Nakago lose composure and stare at me with unhidden shock.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Ah… the tension! The thickening plot! How will the shogun react? What will he say? Ahahahaha! You shall have to wait and watch to find out more!

Keep those reviews coming!

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien


	17. When in doubt, just smile and wave!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Fushigi Yuugi. You'll have to ask Yuu Watase–sama before you bind and gag your favorite character and do the unspeakable! *hides a bound and gagged Hotohori behind random tree* Move on… nothing to see here!

Author's Note: I'd like to thank the following reviewers –

**White Lioness Rin, yaoi beloved, unknown player, darklight182, Eadlin, Jean Marie Darkholme, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, Aoihand, White Lioness Rin, unknown player , SS-lover06, .o, karina, Luciana, sophia-21, veronicastefan, kt, NIGHTSCREAM , Warrior-of-the-Flames , NAO-chan33, Lady Seiryu, hermonine, Miorochi , Bronze Star, FallenAngelYen, CrystalYumemi** and the many other readers who read this story and thought it was worth their time!

It has been long, ne? I am really sorry I haven't been the most judicious with updates. I have been away from writing for some time now and believe it or not, I was with this chapter for well nigh a week! Somehow, I didn't seem to like what flowed out of me most of the time. Hopefully, I've managed to uphold the standard of the previous chapters! And don't you worry, darling readers! I am not leaving this story halfway through! From the looks of it, it's going to be a very long one! I hope you guys don't mind that! :D

* * *

**Note to self No.17:  
When in doubt, just smile and wave!**

Time was ticking by as I sat in front of my seishi, waiting for an answer. I knew he was uncomfortable talking about it and I didn't blame him. Zhang Mei's voice resonated in my head,

"_The emperor destroyed entire villages in a matter of days… brought a million lives to naught just because he thought they were unworthy of being his subjects… A purging measure or so we were told. And the most tragic of them all… the Hin…"_

Nakago was looking at his tea cup, a slight frown creasing his forehead.

"Nakago, are you alright?" I asked, genuinely worried.

He looked up from his tea cup and stared at me squarely. And I should say it was my turn to squirm in my seat. It was almost like he wished to read the underlying purpose in questioning him. I merely smiled.

"Why would Aredhel-sama wish to know of such matters of inconsequence?"

My smile stilled a little. His eyes stared into mine, unwavering…

"Well, I had been to the library and I came across annals of the kingdom. I've always been a history buff! It seems Khutou was a hotpot of ethnic diversity! I was just wondering…" I trailed off for his eyes had narrowed a little.

"It does not concern your eminence at the very least." His voice was so cool and detached. I didn't know why I felt my cheeks burn so much.  
"Is that why your eminence wanted to see me?" He was on the verge of getting up. I knew I had to play all my cards or lose this thread of conversation forever.

"Nakago! Wait." He stopped halfway through and looked at me, his eyes holding traces of annoyance. I paused as I remembered he could blow holes into solid walls before I ploughed on, nonetheless.

"Please sit down." I was now imploring. The seishi obeyed.  
"I just wanted to know if the Hin were one of the tribes who were eliminated." I could see his nose flare just a little. But on the outside, he appeared as cool and composed as ever.

"Aredhel-sama, the emperor wanted a purer nation that would be worthy of the Seiryuu no Miko. Worthy of you… and the Hin weren't even from Khutou to begin with. They came from the mountains in the north and west. Why should the Seiryuu no Miko be burdened with deliverance of those who couldn't even protect themselves from a simple attack? Why should those who don't consider Seiryuu to be their God gain prosperity and everlasting peace from him?"

I sat there, looking at him, my eyes widening with every word he spoke.

"Nakago… you can't possibly mean that… Not you, of all –" he didn't let me complete,  
"– Yes me, of all people, Aredhel-sama. Especially me. I serve Seiryuu… I am his seishi. That is all there is to know as far as I am concerned." He stood up from his seat, his tea remained untouched.

"If that is all Aredhel-sama wanted to know, I shall be leaving now." I saw his retreating form and somehow, felt sadness creep up like never before.

"Nakago…" he stopped and turned a little to show me his profile, his eyes downward cast as he waited for me to continue.

"I also heard that the Hin were beautiful people… peace loving…kind. People who held everybody with the greatest regard… people with hair like gold and eyes as blue as the skies… I'm just glad not everybody from there is dead."

He was silent for a while.

"I believe you are mistaken, Miko-sama. Everybody from that tribe is dead." With that, he turned away and continued on to God knew where. And I sat there, with cold jasmine tea in my hands and emptiness like I had never felt before.

* * *

It was official. I hated my life. Ever since that fateful conversation with Nakago happened, he stopped coming to my room as was his wont. And there was this distinct "I-am-trying-to-avoid-you-as-much-as-I-can-so-don't-try" vibe coming from him as well. Sure, we weren't "buddies" exactly but I wouldn't deny the fact that there was something warm and friendly between Nakago and me. But now, he seemed colder… more distant than ever before and this worried me more than I dared to show.

My days were confined to my room and an occasional visit to the shrine where Seiryuu still was absent from. And to make things worse, the emperor seemed to call on the seishi more often than what I felt was necessary. Whose seishi were they anyway? I would get a few furtive glances from the twins once in a while but even they seemed scared to speak to me as freely as they used to.

"I am going to go mad, Meilin." I cried out finally, startling my maid as she was about to help me with an earring.  
"Your eminence, I am so sorry! If I have done anything to –"  
"Oh, it's not you." I quickly cut in before she did something that could possibly estrange the last person who was speaking with me… even if she placed me on a hundred feet tall pedestal. I frowned at my reflection as I sat there, my singular earring dangling in the breeze and Meilin holding its twin.

"That's it. I can't take this anymore! I am going to have him speak to me even if it kills me!" I got up from the dresser and turned around with a sure purpose in mind.

"Your eminence…" she called out.

No, I wasn't going to let anyone stop me… not Meilin… not the emperor… not even Seiryuu, though that bugger seemed to be in hiding for some time now.

"Your eminence…" she was following me out of the room. I wondered if I should listen to her more sophic counsel and bring up this topic the next time we met. But no… it would be too late by then. My stride became a tad faster.

"Aredhel-sama! Please, a moment of your time!" she was now running to catch up with me… I slowed down a little and turned around.

She was gasping for breath as she held out a tiny earring in her hand.

"Your eminence… you cannot possibly go out with just one earring!" She gasped.

Right… the earring. My shoulders slumped a little as the more dramatic imagery in my mind crumbled to smithereens with Meilin dangling the other earring on me as well.

With both earrings in place, I turned around once more only to almost collide with…

"Tomo!" I squeaked. He moved back just in time and bowed with a flourish.

"Your eminence is graceful as always!"  
His eyes sparkled with a caustic humor that I was beginning to tire of.

"Glad to keep your expectations intact, Tomo. Now, could you tell me where Nakago is?"

"Nakago-sama is not in the capital, I'm afraid!" he said, buffing his well manicured nails on his lapel. I stared at him incredulously. His smirk grew a little. "My! My! You're not that plain looking when you're surprised, Miko-sama! In fact, it's at times like these that I manage to convince myself you're actually our Miko!"

I scowled at him. What was that supposed to mean? His smirk grew into laughter…a series of distinct cackles!  
"Well! Surely not your most flattering looks, milady!"

"Well, I can assure you the feeling is mutual, Tomo!" I smirked. His laughter stopped abruptly as he regarded me with a blank expression.  
"I'll have Miko-sama know that each of the colors on my face stand for an attribute that I possess!" He twirled one of the long feathers from his headdress effeminately.  
"And I'll be delighted if you could spare me the details. Now can you please tell me where Nakago is?"

His hands stopped mid-twirl as he turned to look at me.  
"Why would Miko-sama wish to know? Is it Miko-sama's wish that all her seishi remain around her like her servants? It should occur to Miko-sama that being a seishi does not mean we do not have a life of our own!" A theatrical sniffle followed. If I had a million nerves, this dunderhead was standing on the very last one!

"Tomo…" I turned him around. "I need to meet Nakago. Now! It is urgent!" I knew I shouldn't blink but the colors on his face were really giving me a headache this close. He stared right back.

"Hmmm…. I might be able to help you." He sighed. A smile slowly grew on my lips as I whispered a tired word of gratitude.

Tomo, as it turned out, had been 'discovered' by a band of performers when he was a child and that explained his questionable choice of wardrobe and demeanor.

"This…" he held out a small clam shell, "…is the Shin. This shows me whatever I wish to see." He snickered. Right… that would be quite the ability!  
"Right now, I shall use the connection that we share with Nakago-sama to…peep on him. Though I daresay, he will realize it the moment we get through… Nakago-sama is that amazing."

I cocked an eyebrow. From the way he spoke of Nakago, he'd probably build a shrine for the general right next to Seiryuu if he had his way!

"Are we clear so far, your eminence?" He grinned a little as though he thought me a little dull. Oh, I'd love to shove the Shin up his rear if I could! But I merely smiled as I nodded. He turned the shell over in his palm and soon, it was glowing an azure blue. Before long, an image stabilized in the glow. It was of Nakago inside what seemed like a tent.

"Ah… it seems like Nakago-sama is inspecting the borders… befitting his post. Not all of us can afford to take it easy now, can we?"  
Ouch! This guy had quite the way with charming people! I sighed.

"Do you know when he'll be back?"  
he closed his clam shell and scratched his chin thoughtfully. The red paint in his nails almost gleamed with a life of their own. I quickly looked away towards his face when he turned back to stare at me. The last thing I wanted to be branded as was a "gawker"!

"I believe he'll be back in a week at most, Miko-sama. Well, if you don't have any further queries to ask, I'll be on my way!" he turned around without waiting for a reply and trudged off to God knew where!

I sighed a little as I turned around and marched back to my room. Pushing the door further ajar, I turned to the direction of the balcony to literally have the wind knocked out of me.

"Nakago!"

The general turned to regard me with a small smile as he bowed a little.

"You wanted to meet me, Aredhel-sama?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** How on earth did the Shogun get into Aredhel's room? How? How? Howwwwwwww? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out. Aaaaaah….. It felt so good writing this! Hope you guys liked this chapter! Do keep me posted with your views and opinions!

Yours in fellowship,  
Anarya of Lorien


	18. Psychedelic Seishi cannot be trusted

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Fushigi Yuugi. You'll have to ask Yuu Watase–sama before you bind and gag your favorite character and do the unspeakable! *hides a bound and gagged Hotohori behind random tree* Move on… nothing to see here!

**Author's Note:** I'd like to thank all those wonderful people who've not given up on me! J Arigatou, ne?

* * *

**Note to self No.18:  
Psychedelic seishi cannot be trusted.**

I smiled as I tried my utmost to hide how flabbergasted I really was. Didn't Tomo just show me Nakago patrolling some village at the borders? And now here, in front of me in the Capital, stood the very man I had imagined was napping in a tent in the wilderness.

"I see that Aredhel-sama is surprised to see me? Was I wrong to presume that you wanted to see me?" He teased.

_Nakago was actually making a joke? Whoaaaaaah… did I just slip into another dimension or something?_

"Well… I was just wondering why it was that you were avoiding me, Nakago." I stated flatly.

His blue eyes remained as stoic as ever as his smile widened. "Aredhel-sama must forgive me for letting her think so. I was busy on a mission near our borders."

"Yes… Tomo told me so… a moment ago. He, as a matter of fact, showed me."

If I was expecting him to be surprised, I was grossly disappointed. He merely nodded as he took a step back towards the room.

"Yes… I'm sure Tomo must have mentioned I was still in the borders?" I nodded. His smile shrank to a smirk.

"That is because I haven't let him know that I have returned yet. Aredhel-sama must realize that he can show illusions but I doubt if he could really show the events at the borders at this very moment… unless he knew exactly what was happening."

"Ah…"

There was silence.

"Something bothers you, Aredhel-sama." It was a statement.

"And I guess you know what it is, Nakago."

There was that doggoned silence again.

I sighed, "What will it take to get my seishi to trust me?" I had meant it as a rhetorical question for myself. So, my surprise can be imagined when I turned to my seishi to find Nakago stare at me with an emotion I hadn't seen very often on his face. He was regarding me with a sort of bemusement that I had never before seen on him. As though he wanted to ask me something but couldn't.

"The very fact that Aredhel-sama is the Miko means-"

"-It means nothing, Nakago. There are a billion women, in my world who could've been in my position. And yet, I am the one here. Yet… I feel like a failure already."

"Milady…"

"I wish I could tell you I know how it feels to go through the horrible things you and the others must've gone through. But I can't. I haven't had my family murdered. I haven't been in pain that much. As a matter of fact, I've led a pretty happy life so far."

I thought he'd interrupt me. But he did not. Maybe he wasn't listening. I looked up to see him frowning at the wall behind me.

"I know I'll never understand the actual pain the people here are going through. But I can alleviate it… Seiryu has given me that power. But I also know that in that shrine… the one we worship is not Seiryu." His eyes narrowed just the slightest bit.

"I don't know how to make you or anybody understand. I cannot summon Seiryu just yet… Heck! I don't even know where Seiryu is! Maybe there is a better future out there, Nakago. Maybe we all have a part in it. But for that, I need my Seishi… I need all of you. I need us to trust one another. I could've ordered you to do my bidding. And I know you would not disobey." I took a step towards him.

"But that would make you my seishi… I don't want that Nakago." He still did not say anything. Emboldened, I placed my hand on his shoulder, my fingers realizing the coldness emanating from the armour's metal. He looked down at my hand and then at me. I smiled.

"Don't you think it's time we left all secrets behind, Nakago?" His brow furrowed a little as he stood there, frowning at me but I knew his mind was working at a rapid pace trying to think of a way to get out of this.

"Milady…I have no-"

I smiled as I shook my head.  
"You needn't tell me all… heck! We hardly know each other! People have always looked at you as a Seiryu Seishi… as a shogun… as someone from a race feared and loathed. I want to know you as who you are… as a friend… as someone who shares with me a bond stronger than anything anyone could dream of!"

Those eyes stilled. I smiled inwardly. Whoever called him stoic and emotionless didn't know where to look. Right now, I could see confusion in his eyes…. Confusion swirled with fear.

He opened his mouth to speak. No words came out. Clearing his throat,

"I need to go."

With a curt bow, he left.

I smiled. I had finally managed to instill something in him. But the potency of that wouldn't manifest itself until much later.

* * *

The library doors stood invitingly open. It had been a few days since I'd been there. The last time I visited, I'd learned of the gruesome genocidal history of the emperor. And if I had disliked the man before, I positively loathed him now.

The cool breeze mingled with the smell of old parchment almost made me feel at home… Sure, parchment had a slightly different smell from paper. But it was close enough to the smell one got from the National Library. That train of thought led me to other musings… Natalie… I wondered if she was worried. Maybe they'd launched a full-fledged search. Had they informed my family overseas about my disappearance already?

"Your Eminence! Such an honor!" I started a little as I turned towards the owner of the voice. A wizened man in deep blue robes clearly two sizes too big.

I smiled as I returned his bow.

"I was wondering if I could meet the Chief Librarian."

The man threw me a furtive glance as his smile returned.  
"That would be me, your eminence."

Clearly this guy was joking…

"But… the last time I came here, a person by the name….Zhang Mei…"

"A woman?" his brow shot up. I nodded silently. He laughed gently.

"A woman who called herself the Chief Librarian? Clearly your eminence must be hallucinating! Women are not allowed to take up employment in the administrative offices of our August emperor let alone become the Chief Librarian!"

I didn't know how to respond.

"Can I be of any assistance, your eminence? His majesty has called for some important documents immediately…." he broke the silence that lengthened between us.

I shook my head a little as I smiled…

"Oh, no! Let me not interrupt you. I'll be on my way now!" I bowed a little and turned around…

It wasn't a dream… was it? Wait… Amiboshi was with me when I spoke to her! Maybe he knew where she was. My pace hastened a little as I walked out of the library. I had to meet Amiboshi immediately.

Soon enough, I was in front of the corridor where the Seiryuu seishi were staying. The guard wasted no time in subjecting himself to a very deep bow as he saw me approaching.

As he straightened, he was smiling.

"Your eminence! How may this humble-"

"Amiboshi. I wish to speak with him." I cut him short.

His smile stopped short and he bowed once more before turning to leave… presumably to bring forth amiboshi.

"Ah, I'll accompany you, soldier!" I smiled.  
"Most definitely, your eminence!" he seemed thrilled at the idea.

It took us approximately a minute to reach his room.

The guard rapped the door, "Amiboshi-sama…Her eminence-"  
"-Er… I'll take it from here. You may go." I stopped him. If there indeed was a Zhang Mei once, it meant I couldn't trust the Emperor or his men… no matter how low they were in the hierarchy.

He nodded and with another bow, left me there by the door. When he was back at his post, I tried the door. It opened without a problem. With a furitive glance around me, I let myself in.

The room was Spartan. There was a bed and a table by it's side. There was a single cupboard and a chair that I presumed Suboshi used when he came to chat a while with his twin. But now, the room was empty.

"Amiboshi?" my voice rang a little in the sparsely furnished room. There was no reply. I walked in further and called out once more.

"Amiboshi, are you here?" the silence rang deeper.

"He's out on a mission, I'm afraid!" a sing-song voice rang from the window. I turned to my left to find Tomo seated there, his shell open in his manicured hand.

"Tomo… good morning." I managed to conjure up a smile. Even if I wanted to break a flowerpot on his head, it wouldn't change the fact that he was one of my seishi.

"A mission? What mission?"

He smiled as he swung off the window edge, "Ah Miko-sama… miko-sama! Darling little miko-sama!" He sauntered towards me, his hands closing the shin deftly. For a moment though I thought I saw Amiboshi on what seemed like a village road. When he was close enough, he bent down to whisper,

"Do you honestly think he doesn't know? He knows everything… He sees everything! It's only a matter of time before everything comes crashing down… It would do you a world of good if you didn't meddle too much, miko-sama. You see, it has been quite long…He has been waiting for quite some time, now. And there's nothing anyone can do… Not you, not Seiryuu… nobody!"

I felt my heart stop for a moment. It was getting a little hot in that room. I raised my eyes a little to see a cruel glint in Tomo's eyes. His smirk sent shivers down my spine.

"What do you-"  
"Shhhhhhhhh… not too loud!" He placed one talon-embellished finger on my lips.

"Farewell for now, Miko!" there was silence as he swished past me. I stood there as one who was paralyzed. When the seconds ticked past me, I felt my legs give way as I slumped to the ground in a heap. I was panting for breath… I turned around to see the empty doorway.

_Nakago… Amiboshi… Tomo…what is happening?_

I felt my hands tremble as I tried to raise myself from the floor. I needed to see Nakago. Something was wrong. I opened my mouth, hoping to scream for attention if I had to. But, no voice came forth. Tears were streaming down my face as I fell down once more, this time, my skirt being the culprit. I frowned as I scanned the room, feeling extremely disoriented, rivulets of sweat joining my tears, feeling my way like a blind and listless idiot when I felt someone grasp me by the shoulder and lift me up. I turned around to find Nakago stand there with Soi and the one man who I wished I'd never see.

My eyes widened as I saw the actor behind the scenes… Tomo stood there by the doorway, his shoulders squared, and his face quizzical.

"Milady?" I heard Nakago's voice as I felt myself being lifted off the ground. The next sensation was that of being placed onto something soft. I would later understand that to be Amiboshi's bed. I looked around with the same confused frown to find Soi mop the sweat off my forehead.

"Is milady feeling better?" I heard her ask. I nodded absently, still holding a fist full of Nakago's sleeves.

"Amiboshi…where is Amiboshi?" I was aware of my voice raising. I felt Nakago and Soi push me back, Tomo…. That man just stood there, bemused!

"Amiboshi is fine. He'll be back soon, milady." I heard Soi whisper softly as she held me back to the bed, afraid I might blot out if she let go.

"I'm so scared…" my hands were trembling again… the feeling of being watched still lingered. I felt someone sit there beside me and I looked up at Nakago.

"There's nothing to be scared, milady." His voice sounded so reassuring. I turned to Tomo. He still regarded me with a quizzical stare… the jerk!

"Tomo…" I began to have Nakago hush me.

"He and I heard you scream as we were returning from the courts. We met Soi on our way."

What? Tomo was with Nakago?

"But… I saw him here…in this room…I-" Nakago turned around to regard Tomo with the same blank stare he always carried,

"Did you use the Shin on the Seiryuu no Miko, Tomo?" his voice sounded stern.

"General Nakago, I wouldn't dream of misleading the Miko! I was with you all the while and with someone of your caliber around, I wouldn't dare try anything of that sorts!"

Nakago turned back to smile at me.

"I can assure you, he was with me throughout the day, milady…you must've been dreaming." I felt Soi mop my forehead again.

"You should rest. Soi, stay with her eminence." He bowed and left with Tomo at his heels.

When they'd both left, I turned to Soi, who resumed Nakago's place and smiled at me.

"_There's nothing anyone can do… Not you, not Seiryuu… nobody!"_

I sighed as I felt tears stream down my face… what wouldn't I give to be back in my world? Or atleast… to be back there where I'd felt the safest in this world… I sniffled as I thought of him…

"Hotohori…"

* * *

Author's Notes: Updated after so long…. Writer's block is surely a B***H! Aaaaanyway, I'm back! :D


	19. When folks try killing you, you're close

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters from Fushigi Yuugi. You'll have to ask Yuu Watase–sama before you bind and gag your favorite character and do the unspeakable! *hides a bound and gagged Hotohori behind random tree* Move on… nothing to see here!

**Author's Note**: Thank you to every single one of you (Nile 1283, Jean Marie Darkholme, unknown player, AGrandMalfunction and many other unnamed angels) who'd read the story and passed your kindly thoughts my way! This is quite the long chapter! Don't know what hit me… but you know… it's pretty difficult to stop when you are inspired enough! Heheheh… aaanyway, on with the story. Enjoy!

Oh, and in reply to Nile1283's query, Aredhel was a name from J.R.R. Tolkien's _Silmarillion_. I wanted a name that would sound beautiful without being too…thought out. Personally, I love Anarya over Aredhel! : P

* * *

**Note to self No.19:  
****When people try to kill you, you're closer to the truth.**

_It was all a haze… I was aware that I was in some sort of room. But it was not like any of the rooms I'd seen in the palace. In the midst of the room there stood the statue of Seiryuu. Was he going to come out and talk to me like before? If so, I had a few things to ask him… and I wouldn't mind throwing in a punch to the nose if I could. The seconds ticked by as I stood there in front of the statue, waiting for something to happen._

"_He shall not come, priestess." I heard that voice once more, a cold breath tickling my neck. I turned around and backed away from the shadow that resembled a man. He laughed… a gentle laughter as though he was mildly amused._

"_Who are you?" I demanded. There was no answer.  
"Can't you hear me? I demand to know who you are. Why are you doing this to me? What do you want?"_

_The shadowy figure slowly progressed forward towards the light. The man was tall and handsome but in a forbidding way. His long hair was silvery white yet he didn't seem a day older than Nakago. His eyes glimmered in the light around us as he stopped in front of me._

"_I believe we've met once before, priestess." He traced a line along my jaw and I was distinctly made aware that the guy had painted his nails purple. Either my encounter with Tomo was giving me weird nightmares or I'd lost my marbles. I merely glared at him._

_He laughed once more before he'd clutched my face and drew me closer to him,_

"_I am the God of all that I survey. And I shall obliterate all those who stand in my way. But not you…not you, my key to greatness!" he released his hold on my face and I backed away another step._

"_You seem confused, priestess! Yes… we've met before. I am the entity who resides in the shrine of Seiryuu. I am the one who shall reign over all of the four lands… and yours as well, priestess." _

_My glare narrowed a bit more as he continued,  
"I see that you are not pleased to hear that."_

_Talk about understatement! _

"_Look here mister! I don't care who you are or what you want. But if it's the destruction of Khutou that's your agenda, I'm sorry but you're in for some disappointment! I am not going to just stay around and let random people barge in-"  
"-Oh but you have, dearest child!" he interjected; his smirk grew a little more sinister._

"_But I shall have you know that it was my intention to have another in your place…and have her land here, in Khutou. The first glimpse of the world she would save would have been that of a desolate one… where everyone is doomed. And yet… he saw through my pretenses. Mighty impressive of him… putting you where my powers were the weakest… placing you under the protection of those whose hearts were shut to my words. Even there, I was watching you… as you slowly gained strength, I was watching… waiting…"_

"_You were in Khonan? What? And what's all this nonsense about choosing another one? Just who the heck do you think you are? Seiryuu?"_

"_Seiryuu… the one reason why you still stand here, alive. Seiryuu… the only reason why I cannot seem to speak with the one who brought me here! When I have won, he shall pay the dearest price!"_

"_Oh yeah? Keep dreaming, buster! My seishi and I-"  
"-Oh, your darling seishi. Led by a heartless man from the Hin, nonetheless! Fool! Your seishi don't wish for peace and tranquility! Why would they save a kingdom that snatched all that they had!You can do nothing. It is inevitable that those who sow shall have to reap."_

"_Oh and you're the one to talk! I don't care what my seishi had for a past. The reason I'm here is to save them. And I hate doing a shoddy job!"_

"_Then why don't you summon Seiryuu?" his voice was teasing and suddenly, I understood what he wanted.  
"And I'm sure that's what you want, isn't it? Perhaps it's your agenda to brainwash people to do what you want done. Let me guess… I summon Seiryuu now and you get to wreak havoc. Not happening!"_

_His smirk morphed into a scowl before returning.  
"You speak such brave words for one so helpless, maiden. Your own life is delicate like a moth's wing. And yet, you speak of saving others. Save yourself if you can. If you cannot help me, remember that I shall have no qualms of killing you. Another maiden will have to be brought in to justify the presence of the seishi and now, I can more than happily find one who shall serve my purposes without question."_

_Okay, now I was beginning to panic a little. Wasn't I the only Seiryuu no Miko? The summoning cannot happen without me, right? This guy was probably bluffing…I hoped he was!_

"_Oooooh, was that a threat? Think, you're all so high and mighty being in the shadows, don't you? I'll take you on that, buster! And the day I summon Seiryuu, you can laugh all you want, from the pits of Hell!" irrespective of feeling like wanting to pass out with anxiety on the inside, I was surprised at how confident I sounded!_

_He scoffed. So much for making an impact! _

"_That, we shall see, maiden. That, we shall see…" he receded back into the shadows._

_The room was beginning to dissolve slowly into nothing. I turned around, trying to find a way out of this dream before I was left with just darkness around me when,_

"Aredhel-sama! Are you alright?" a voice asked gently as I felt someone place something warm on my forehead.

"Unnngh?" I blearily opened my eyes to see Amiboshi seated there with a smile, his palm, feeling my forehead.  
"Ami…boshi?" I asked as he smiled and nodded.

"AMIBOSHI! You're safe!" I hugged him as tightly as I could.  
"Er… Aredhel-sama… you're choking me."

I released him, "Ah… sorry… I'd heard Nakago had sent you on a mission somewhere. And well, I was just worried if you were well!"

He smiled as he nodded, "It was just a routine mission. I returned today and learnt that Aredhel-sama was worried about me. It has been almost two days now since you'd woken up."

I looked around to find myself back in my room. Something told me the dream was a major reason I'd failed to wake up earlier. I smiled as I turned to Amiboshi,  
"Ah, I'll be fine! But tell me more. Where did you go?"

The boy smiled as though I'd asked him something he'd been dying to tell, "I was sent to Khonan to observe their progress in the gathering of their seishi."

My eyes widened at the mention of Khonan.

"And?"

His smile widened as he said, "Oh, they're still a few short. But we need to hurry up with the summoning. I don't know why Nakago-sama is waiting still."

I lowered my eyes as I shrugged, "I don't know… I guess he wants us to be more closely bonded as a team?" I suggested weakly.

"Well, that's admirable of him. But somehow, I suspect if Nakago-sama is thinking of that!" he scoffed and then suddenly, he clapped his mouth shut.

"Oh dear, I didn't mean to criticize him! I hope he doesn't-"  
"-Amiboshi! Calm down! It'll be fine. But there has been something I've wanted to ask you."

He lowered his hand as he regarded me, waiting for the question.  
"Do you remember the Zhang Mei? The chief librarian?" I ventured.

His eyes shifted a little towards the ground before returning to mine.  
"I don't know, Aredhel-sama. I haven't been to the library since we last went there." Something about his reply told me he was uneasy with the topic and this intrigued me further.  
"That's the strangest thing. I went there a few days ago and people act as though Zhang Mei never existed. Something tells me a sinister plot is afoot here, Amiboshi."  
"A sinister plot, milady? Whatever do you mean?"

I shrugged. Just then, there was a rap at the door.

"Aredhel-sama, I see that you're up. May I enter?" it was Nakago. Amiboshi scrambled to get up as I called for the general. Nakago regarded the younger seishi with a curt nod which was returned with the deepest bow the boy could manage before he turned to bow to me. I smiled at the shogun and asked him to sit near me.

"Milady, you should be resting rather than squandering your energy talking!" he frowned at Amiboshi who was beginning to squirm. I smiled as I took his hand in mine, pressing them gently,

"Amiboshi was just worried about my wellbeing, Nakago. There is nothing wrong in visiting now, is there?"

He merely mumbled a no and turned to adjusting his cape. The young boy withdrew his hand from my grasp and bowed down,

"I shall be leaving now, your eminence. I hope you get well soon."  
"Ah, that I will, Amiboshi. With all your prayers egging me on!" I gave him the warmest smile I could manage. That seemed to lift some amount of the gloom that hung around him since Nakago's arrival. He bowed once more and literally ran out of the room.

When he had left the room, I turned to the general. He was regarding me with a careful gaze. I smiled,  
"What is the matter, Nakago?" he did not answer immediately.

"I was wondering if it would be wise to postpone the summoning thus when our enemies are slowly edging closer to their own summoning, milady."  
"Our enemies?"  
"Khonan, of course."

I sighed. "I find it extremely difficult imagining them in that place, Nakago."  
His frown deepened a little, "Did milady forget that they intended to kill you when they found out that you were the Seiryuu no Miko?"

_Touché!_

"And would Khutou have acted any different if the Suzaku no Miko had dropped in here?" he remained silent.

_En Garde!_

"Milady is hell bent on trusting the ones unworthy of such high regard."  
"Oh, Nakago! Sometimes I begin to realize that everything is never as it seems. Believe me; I am fully aware of whom to trust and whom not to." I looked up to catch a slight glimpse of surprise on my seishi's face. But soon enough, he had his mask back on.

"Milady seems to doubt our resolve in this."  
"Sometimes I wonder if you truly desire to be saved."

He now stared at me, straight in the eye. His piercing blue eyes… if I hadn't stood in the gaze of that thing that plagued my dreams, I would have succumbed to this intense gaze and looked away. I held his gaze, knowing it was vital to not give in.

"Why would milady think so?" I could sense the defense systems around him going up. I had to strike soon!  
"Because my own seishi don't trust me enough! And the emperor's being an idiot." His gaze softened a little.

"Did the emperor express displeasure in any way to milady?"  
"I'm sure he's frying you and the others as to why the summoning is not happening fast enough?" I scoffed.

There was the sound of Nakago clearing his throat. The first time I'd seen him display signs of discomfort… or maybe he really had a sore throat.  
"The Seiryuu no Miko has a duty to the people of this nation."  
"Nakago… the emperor is not the people… at least not in this nation. You of all people must know this."

"Time is running out, milady. We must summon Seiryuu soon. We have all our seishi and-"  
"-and those from Khonan are soon catching up to us, am I right?"

He was shocked. And he did not hide it.  
"I see Amiboshi has been careless about discretion once more."  
"Stop it, Nakago! He is my seishi. He serves me… furthermore; he's barely old enough to be sent on dangerous missions! I need to know if you are intending on sabotaging Khonan's attempt of summoning Suzaku." I was not looking anywhere else and neither was he.

"Yes."  
"What did they ever do to you?"

He chuckled, "I am a general of Khutou. Do you expect me to empathize with the enemy, milady?"  
There he went again!

"Nakago… do you realize you work for the man who ordered the death of your family? I don't know much about what really happened there. But I sure as hell know that nobody here seems to want to tell me! Everybody is hell-bent on keeping me in the dark. It is getting really annoying, you know!"

"I'm sorry that milady feels that way."  
If I was holding in my temper, his last reply undid all those holds I had. In a single swipe, I'd pushed the coverlet off me and got up,

"Do you think it's funny, Nakago? Do you think that I don't give a damn about anything around me? Are you for once implying that I shouldn't try to do my job? Am I only an instrument for you? Some person who should exist so that Seiryuu can be brought here? Please do tell me if it is so!"

"And if it is so, what does milady plan to do?"

SLAP!

There was silence as I stood there, my hand smarting just as much as his left cheek. The room soon got hazy as I felt tears gather up in my eyes. He wasn't surprised. It was almost like he was hoping to get this reaction out of me and for that, I hated him!

"Just leave!" I said as I slumped back on the bed. He stood up and with another one of his curt bows, he left.

* * *

"Aredhel-sama, you haven't eaten a thing!"

I was glaring at the courtyard in front of me as I heard Soi walk towards the balcony.

"Not hungry." I stated, aware I sounded like a five year old with tantrum issues. As if to refute my statement, I heard a deep rumble from within me.

"Great! My own stomach doesn't listen to what I have to say!"

She laughed as she placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"Aredhel-sama… you need to eat. I heard the emperor has spoken with Nakago-sama regarding the summoning. From the looks of things, you can summon Seiryuu and ask for anything you desire soon enough!"

I smiled at the honest effort she made to get me back to smiling. I turned to regard Soi who stood there, her slender frame robed in the same kind of clothing I'd seen on Nuriko. It made me wonder if she was part of the seraglio here. And strangely, it wouldn't surprise me if that were true.

"Soi… if given a wish, what would you do?"

Her eyes widened in surprise before they grew contemplative and then they were gentle, as though she thought of someone she loved,

"I'd wish for the happiness of the ones I love." She stated, demurely. Underneath the warrior, Soi was truly a woman in love. But with whom? I had a hunch.

"And this wouldn't happen to be a particular blonde haired shogun I know, would it?" I cocked an eyebrow.

A hot flush crept up her face as she lowered her eyes.  
"I don't think I am good enough for Nakago-sama to ever consider me…" she dragged on, her hands wringing the ends of her sash.

"I didn't ask whom that dodo loved. But never mind! I got my answer."

She looked up in haste, her eyes imploring me not to let it out. I laughed at how the woman who burnt people to cinders with her lightning bolt was blushing just like any normal person.

"Does Aredhel-sama fancy anyone?" she asked.

For a moment, I saw his face… those golden eyes and his lips curling into one of the kindest smiles I'd ever seen. And I smiled.

"I don't know, Soi…" I said, truthfully.  
"Ah… I see, Aredhel-sama."

There was silence once more as I saw the distant lights of the capital in front of me.

"Aredhel-sama… is happy here, right?" it was a good thing my back was towards her or else she would've seen my jaw drop to the floor!

"Why do you ask, Soi?"  
"Well… it just seemed that Aredhel-sama wasn't really happy here… I mean… ever since the incident in Amiboshi's room the other day…"

I turned around, smiling.  
"I'm really happy you're worried about me, Soi." She stopped midsentence to stare at me bemused. I walked up to her.

"I need to ask you something." I said, holding her hands in mine. She smiled, nodding her head in acquiescence.

"Tell me about how you came to the palace." She looked surprised at my request but that soon mellowed to a smile as she nodded again,

"Oh I'll gladly do that milady. But it's quite the long story and tales sound bitter on empty stomachs!"

"Touché! I'll eat as you speak. Come…" I led her back in.

I stared at the empty rice bowl in front as Soi sat beside me, a companionable silence between us.

"He saved you." I stated. She merely nodded.  
"I decided then and there that this life would be for the sole purpose of serving Nakago-sama."

The way she said it… it touched me deep.  
"I see… Soi… do you hate Seiryuu for having put you through so much pain?"

Silence…

"I wouldn't deny that I am not the most ardent devotee of Seiryuu. It comes as a surprise that I am actually a seishi. I'd given up on anything good happening to me quite some time ago. But now… I must thank Seiryuu. If it had not been for him, I wouldn't be this close to Nakago-sama."

"Hmmm… I see."  
"But that doesn't mean I don't respect Aredhel-sama! As a matter of fact, I believe milady can finally bring about a miracle for our people."

"The same people who didn't think twice before selling you off to a brothel." I finished quietly. I looked up to find Soi smiling at me.

"It's the first time that someone has empathized on my behalf, Aredhel-sama. Not that I've spoke to many about my past. I wouldn't say I'm stoked about the people here. But there is no denying that there might be a few who're truly benign in their hearts… like Nakago-sama. To condemn them with the others is not fair, is it?"

This woman still had hope? I felt tears threatening to break free again.

"Milady… Are you alright?"  
I shook my head as I wiped those stray rivulets away.  
"Oh… it's nothing, Soi."

Then she did something that I hadn't expected her to do. I felt her gather me in her arms and just hold me there… perhaps like how a mother hold her child when she know something's amiss but still doesn't hear of it. I smiled a little as I hugged her back.

"I don't know what milady is going through right now. But I hope she remembers the day I rescued her from the dungeons in Eiyou."

I merely sniffed.

"I promised that I would take care of you, no matter what. And when milady trusts me enough to open up, I shall be more than willing to listen. Especially after milady took the pains of listening to me."

I drew myself away from her as I shook my head.

"No matter what I'm going through, it will never be as bad as your past, Soi… or as bad as the past my seishi have had to endure. And I wish I could do something to make things better."

Her smile returned as she shook her head,  
"Sorrows divide when shared. And I already feel better knowing there is someone who worries for me. Quite the alien sensation, I'll tell you that!" we chuckled.

"We'll get there together, won't we Soi?" I asked. She nodded as she got up, taking my empty dishes with her.

"I shall now let Aredhel-sama rest. You need all the energy you can muster!"

I smiled, nodding.  
"Good night, Aredhel-sama."  
"Good night, Soi."

* * *

It must've been an hour or maybe an eon. But I was distinctly aware of being jolted awake. The room was dark… the few candles that still burnt were slowly dying deep in their sockets. Something did not feel right. And then I understood the problem. The balcony window was open. The cold draft of air was what woke me up. I silently got up from bed and slipping on the extra coat around my shoulders, I tiptoed to the window.

It must've been midnight. The moon was bright and cast an ethereal light on all things below. A sigh escaped my lips as I leaned on the balustrade. I was about to turn back to bed when someone grab my shoulders and cover my mouth.

For a moment, I felt my blood turn to ice and then,

"Milady… it's me. It is imperative that you not shout." I heard his voice. I merely exhaled as I nodded.  
"I shall remove my hands now. But remember that if you were to scream, we'll both be in trouble." I nodded once more.

He removed his hold around me and I turned to face,  
"Amiboshi! What are you doing here?" I whispered fiercely.

"Nakago-sama had asked me to come to you and take you away. I believe you were right about the sinister plot. Something is amiss. We are leaving the palace tonight."

"WHAT?"  
"Shhhhhhhhh!" he motioned. I bit my lip as I looked around me.  
"What do you mean leave the palace?" he shook his head, indicating that he didn't know the details himself. Surely Nakago was up to something. Could I trust him? He had so blatantly told me that my purpose was to summon Seiryuu and nothing more. What was happening?

"We need to hurry, milady." He urged.  
I agreed as I let myself be carried by Amiboshi. He easily climbed up the balustrade and squatted there, me hanging behind him like a three year old.

"I urge you not to scream, milady." He whispered. I nodded.  
It was very considerate of him for warning me beforehand for the very next moment; he leapt off the balcony with me behind him. I shut my eyes tightly as I felt gravity pull me down at an alarming rate. I was amazed how I could think of physics at a time like this!

I was expecting excruciating pain when we land. But all I felt was a light thud and opened my eyes gingerly to find the scenery around me whoosh past me. Amiboshi was running like his life depended on it. And maybe… it did.

He jumped up the wall and after fifteen minutes of death defying acts that I wouldn't have tried otherwise, we found ourselves in front of a carriage. Soi stood there, cloaked as she had been when I first met her. Her face was wrung with worry.

"Hurry Aredhel-sama. Nakago-sama awaits us." She pushed me into the carriage but not before covering me with an identical cloak.

I did not bother to protest and soon, we were riding through the streets of Khuto's capital city.

When the journey had progressed for some time, I turned to Soi,

"Where are we going?" I ventured quietly. She started as though from a trance.  
"We're going to the west, milady. From there, Nakago-sama will tell us what to do?"

"Where are the others?"  
"Amiboshi and Suboshi will meet us there. Aishitare has already been taken there. As for Tomo and Miboshi, I don't know."

"Why are we leaving the palace?" she didn't reply for some time. "Soi?"

"Your life was in grave danger there, milady."  
There was silence again. The rest of the journey had only the hooves of the horses for conversation.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Phew! Finally done! The story is finally picking up pace! I can assure you the last few chapters weren't that exciting to write. But they had to be done since one needs to set the right pace for things to happen and at the right time! Oh… I'm just rambling again! See you guys at the next chapter!

Yours in fellowship,  
Anarya of Lorien.


	20. Straw hats are all the rage

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters from Fushigi Yuugi anymore than I own my neighbor's car!

**Author's Note:** Thank you to everyone for the reviews and the kind emails that you've sent my way!

On with the next chapter. I intend to complete this story in the next six months… Let's hope fate doesn't prove me otherwise… again! L And for everybody who's hoping for Nakago to be the good person here, I should say that it's amicable to think that he can be good. But let's not hope that happens too quickly. That would be so unnatural and well… unlike him! :D Well, enjoy the chapter for now!

* * *

**Note to self No.20:  
Straw hats are all the rage.**

There was the distinct rumbling of thunder somewhere out there and I turned towards the seishi beside me. She smiled as she shook her head. The horses ran on. It could've been an hour…a day… for all I knew, it seemed like an entire age had passed by.

It was for my safety that my seishi were moving me out of the palace. But I didn't know what could threaten me, their Miko when I was housed in what common sense described as the safest place in Khutou. And though I had promised myself when I got into the carriage that, I would not ask questions till they came forth and provided an explanation, I was wondering if maybe, they were waiting for a query from my side.

"Er… Soi,"

The carriage stopped and the door opened. It was overcast outside making it impossible to guess the hour. Suboshi stood there with the horse whip in his hand and a smile on his face.

"We'll be resting here a while, milady. You may get out of the carriage for some air, if you like." He bowed.  
"Thank you, Suboshi. You take some rest as well."

"Oh, he'll get plenty. I'm driving the rest of the way!" Soi smiled at the younger seishi. I could see his face redden a little,  
"I think I can handle the rest of the journey myself, lady Soi!" indignation seemed to make his voice squeak a little. He coughed at that, warranting a giggle from the ladies in the carriage.

"Oh Suboshi… you're still a child at times." Soi sighed as she got down and helped me out as well. I could see that the blush deepened just a bit on his cheeks.

"Fine!" he gave in at last and I saw his scowl lose some of its edge as Soi ran her fingers through his hair the same way I'd seen his brother do.

I looked around to find our carriage stationed in front of what looked like a lodge.

"Are we to stay here for the night, Soi? What of the others? Nakago, Amiboshi, Aishitare?"  
"They've left ahead of us. They're preparing our new hideout, I should say." Suboshi grinned.

"Hideout?" I turned to Soi, expecting some sort of explanation. She just looked away and sighed,  
"Nakago-sama will tell you everything when we get there. For now, we're to escort you to him safe and sound, Aredhel-sama."

"Oh… and how far is our destination?"  
"We've been using the fastest horses in the country. At the rate we've been travelling, I should say, we'll be there by the time night falls."

I nodded. The lodge was just for breakfast and then…  
The carriage stood there, the two dark horses snorted as though acknowledging my observation.

"Shall we go inside, milady?" I heard Suboshi ask me hopefully. Oh yes, we hadn't eaten anything since we left the palace in the middle of the night.

"Sure!" I took another step towards the lodge. Oh well… there was nothing I could do right now.

* * *

The lodge seemed to have a dining area with a flight of steps in the backside of the room that presumably led to the rooms. Soi walked to the counter and pushed two weird looking amulets in what I assumed was silver. The guy's eyes widened as he bowed low at the sight of the amulets that I later learned were coins of considerably higher denominations.

"Whoah! I didn't know Soi was carrying so much money on her!" Suboshi's voice sounded astounded.

"Really? How much is that?"  
"Let's just say, that bar owner would see that maybe only once or twice in his entire lifetime?"  
My eyes widened as I turned back to watch Soi now in deep conversation with the innkeeper. And then, she followed him towards what seemed to be a room. The door shut with a low thud.

"I wonder what's going on back there." I thought out loud, hoping to get some sort of reaction from my other seishi. He smirked as he slowly got up from his seat.  
"Only one way to know!" his smirk grew a little as he edged closer to door. I shook my head in disbelief. Suboshi was a child sometimes!

I took this opportunity of solitude to look around the dining area. There were merchants with their early lunches or late breakfasts. There was one family where the mother seemed to be trying to soothe her babe as her husband looked on with adoration. And then there were a few loners… with what I assumed to be vials of sake in front of them, well on their way to drunkenness.

"Milady is going somewhere far?" I started as I heard somebody behind me. I turned around to see if it was indeed me whom he had addressed. It was one of the loners. His face was obscured by a large straw hat and from his attire; he seemed like a renegade monk. As I faced him, I saw his smile widen.

"I hear they have better inns in Mount Taikyouku. And I'm sure it's not this expensive." He raised his sake up.  
"Oh, really now!" I smiled, not knowing how I was to react to that.  
"At least there, you'll be safe from what's chasing you!"

I was aware I was staring at the man, my mouth hanging open…

"Who… are you?"

He raised his straw hat a little to show me a face that seemed like he was smiling benignly. But something was off about that face. Those eyes seemed to never open.  
"Ah… they're back. I guess I'll leave now, no da!" he pointed towards the corner of the room and I followed his finger. Soi was walking back towards the table and behind her, Suboshi looked miffed about something. I guessed he finally got caught on his little espionage mission. I turned back to find the man gone. All that remained there was his straw hat.

"How many times do I have to tell you that you can't just leave Miko-sama alone? Especially now!" I could hear Soi chiding Suboshi. I slowly retrieved the hat and flipped it around to see what seemed like a small note attached to it.

"Milady? Shall we eat?" I started a little and smiled at my seishi as I lowered the hat out of sight. Soi raised an eyebrow at me, although she sensed something was amiss.

"Is that a hat on your lap, milady?"  
"huh? Oh… this…." I placed my hand underneath the hat to try pulling the note out as discretely as possible. The parchment disengaged itself from the bamboo frame easily and I lifted the hat while stuffing the parchment in between my thigh.  
"Some kid left it on the table behind me and I seemed intrigued. Can I carry it along?" I pleaded, trying to look like a seven year old with a puppy. Soi sighed as she took the hat from me and turned it around a couple of times, inspecting it thoroughly. Then,

"I don't sense any evil ki on it. Sure, Aredhel-sama." She smiled.  
I smiled back as I waited for the waiter to bring out the manju buns and the teapot. I didn't know who the guy was or what he meant by staying at Mt. Taikyouku…wherever that was!

* * *

We were back to travelling and in spite of my every effort not to seem irritated; the continuous rattling of the coach was driving me mad. I reached my hand towards my chest where I'd deposited the note I'd hidden from my seishi for whatever reason that was still not evident to my senses.

"Aredhel-sama must be feeling really tired!" I heard Suboshi wondering out loud for me. I merely smiled as I nodded,  
"Well… we've been travelling for quite some time now. I guess night must be upon us?" I felt the straw hat shift a little on my head.

"Oh, we've entered our intended town. It's just that our destination isn't exactly inside town." He whispered conspiratorially, ending his sentence with a wink.

Outside town… as in a village? A forest? A goddamned wilderness?

As though the powers above wanted me to see for myself, the carriage stopped. For a while there was no sound save the snorting of the horses and then, the door yanked open.

"Aredhel-sama. I hope your journey was without incident?" I heard his baritone voice before I saw him. Nakago stood there, a dark silhouette in the flickering light of the torch he held. I smiled as I nodded my head,

"Yes, Nakago. Now if only I could stand for a while! I've done enough sitting to last me an eternity and my butt will thank me for it!"  
There was a snicker and I wasn't sure if it was Amiboshi or Tomo. I saw his face come closer and he extended his hand to help me out of the carriage.  
"Milady is in good humor and that alone shall be the best indication that Soi and Suboshi were able to provide you with the best of protection." He turned to Soi who bowed her head in acquiesce. The light was too dim to make out if she was blushing. But I had a pretty good hunch that she was.

"Milady must be tired. Please, let me take you to the quarters that we've arranged for you for the night." He held his hand out expecting me to be led by him. I smiled as I placed my hands into his much bigger ones. He clasped them momentarily before leading me away from the carriage towards what I supposed would be another inn. But to my surprise and undying…horror, I found myself staring at a couple of tents pitched on the meadows. As a matter of fact, there wasn't another building for miles on any direction.

"Er… Nakago…where are we?"

"Milady, we are in the western parts of Khutou. This is where…"he cleared his throat a little, "This is where I grew up."

Nakago had just revealed a part of his past to me? Was I dreaming? Wasn't I a mere tool for the summoning? What was the meaning of all this?

"I sense that milady is surprised?"  
"Nakago, I've been travelling the whole day on merely a suggestion that my life was in danger at the very place where it was supposed to be the safest. You can be assured, I've been surprised before. But now… you…" I felt his grip around my fingers tighten tangibly. I stopped midsentence.

"If milady does indeed know the truth behind my past, then she should also know why I do the things I do." His voice was so steady and even, it was almost like we were discussing the weather! I stopped. His pace seemed synchronized with mine for I felt no tug. This man astounded me even in the smallest of things he did.

"Nakago, I'm actually surprised that you'd serve the man who brought you nothing but misery with such devotion that he would trust his life in your hands!"

And then I gasped. A snigger escaped my companion's mouth.

"Precisely!"

I was beginning to tremble just a little bit now.  
"Milady is afraid?"  
"What do you plan to do with me? Was all this a ruse to lure me out? Are you… going to…?" I gulped, losing the courage to complete the sentence.

"If milady thinks that I shall kill the one thing that would make all my dreams come true, then I believe milady has grossly underestimated my plans!" If I hoped to feel reassured by that sentence, somehow, I wasn't.

"Nakago…"  
"A nice hat you have there, milady!" I heard Amiboshi smile from the tent's entrance.  
"Amiboshi, will you be kind enough to tend to the horses and the carriage? And also, make sure Soi and Suboshi are well rested."

Amiboshi bowed low and turned towards the other tent.  
"Nakago…" I could feel my throat dry up a little.

"Your tent is ready for the evening, milady. I shall see you when you are ready and rested." He bowed and left, the tent flaps waving in the aftermath of his passing through them.

Oh… what had I gotten myself into? I felt for the clasp of my cloak only to have something brush against my breast. Putting my hand underneath the cloak, I retrieved the object that had obstructed my action earlier. A note… from within the straw hat. I reached above my head and surely, the hat was still there. With a final glance towards the tent's entrance, I flipped the note open to read what was definitely childishly written English! It was a letter… from Miaka!

* * *

I paced the room, my nails inadvertently finding their way to my mouth. This was stupendous! What was the meaning of all this? There was a headache in the making and from the feel of it, this seemed like a migraine. I looked down at the note in my hand and sighed.

"_Dear Aredhel,_

_Miaka here. How r u? Writing in English so nobody will find out. If ur reading this, that means ur outside the palace, running from the bad men. The man who gave this to u is Chicheri. He's my seishi. He told us that the balance of the world was losing. He said Khutou will fall soon. Something his master told him. He's really wise and I guess he must have a really wise master! U will need to go to Taikyouku. No other place is safe or so he says. He says this is more than just a war between Khonan and Khutou. The whole world is in danger. I am still missing one seishi. But Chicheri thinks even Suzaku cannot help by himself. U need to go to Taikyouku. Hurry!_

_XOXOXO  
Miaka"_

I smiled a little at the chat lingo. Leave it to Miaka to turn a classical historical epic moment into something out of a videogame chat board! But what was the meaning of her saying that even summoning Suzaku couldn't help? Oh gods… and what in the name of all things holy was Taikyouku?

"Milady?"

I started as I heard Amiboshi's sudden inquiry.  
"Yes?" I replied, trying to look as nonplussed as I could.  
"May I enter?" he ventured.  
"Oh yes! Sure, Amiboshi." I stuffed the letter up the hat and hoped it wouldn't flutter down at any inopportune moment. My seishi entered with a really huge smile on his face.

"I am so glad that milady is here!" He smiled as he walked another step towards me. I could discern a slight blush over his face. He looked down at his feet and straightened his tunic hem as I waited for him to speak again,  
"Milady… I…"  
"Amiboshi."

Both of us started as Nakago walked in, his entire countenance stern.  
"Weren't you supposed to tend to Aishitare? We need feed him something lest he die before we even summon Seiryuu. The beast has his uses for now."

Amiboshi's face paled a little as he nodded,  
"On my way, right away Lord Nakago." And with another curt bow towards me, he literally ran out of the tent.

There was a very uncomfortable silence.

"I see that milady has not undone her cloak."  
"It's too cold actually. I'm still in my night things if you remember."

Silence once more…

"Nakago-"  
"Is my-"

Silence once again… I heard him breathe deep and turn towards me, his shoulders squared and his eyes set.

"Milady must have a thousand questions running through your brain?"  
"As a matter of fact, I crossed the thousandth question early in the morning, Nakago. I believe I've more to ask than you can imagine."

He smirked. "Your first question, milady?"

"Are you going to kill me?"  
"If I had to do that, I merely would have followed the emperor's orders last night."

The emperor's orders? Were they to kill me? What was it with emperors from this world and death sentences? Especially when it came to me?

"I sense that milady is shocked, to put that word mildly?" he almost mocked.  
"But… why would the emperor…"  
"You refuse to summon Seiryuu. And that man has limits to his patience." He stated, almost like that was something that would have been obvious to me by now.

"And killing me would enable him in the summoning, I suppose?"  
"Ah… milady. You need to understand that there are others who think that there might be other ways to gain power and glory. Ways that do not require a Miko. And furthermore… the emperor does not seek to placate the people. They could all wither and die for all he cares." His nonchalance smote me at the heart.

"And yet you… would serve him without question."  
"My priorities have their reasons."  
"Then why save me now, Nakago?"  
"Because my priorities also change, milady."

I looked up at the shogun. He was staring at me with a steadfast gaze.  
"What caused that change?"

He sighed… an actual tired sigh… almost like he had run out of excuses to hide behind.

"It could be because that I am no longer needed. By either of them."  
"Either? Either of whom?"

I had a disturbing feeling I knew the names. But I needed them spoken out loud.  
"The emperor… And Tenkou."

I was aware of my head slightly spinning. I sank to the ground only to find the cot catch me gratefully. I looked up to find the shogun smirk at me as though satisfied with the reaction he got to see.

"Tenkou…"  
"I guess you've heard of that name before?" he laughed as he walked another few paces towards me and drew a chair to sit.

"I… I don't understand."  
"He's the God of the Hin. He was the god of my people."

The howling of the wind seemed to grow a little.  
"Your… people?"  
"As much as I would hate to have to come here. I believe this is one of the few places from where he has completely moved away from. For it was I who had summoned him in Seiryuu's shrine."

"you summoned Tenkou?"  
"yes."  
"Why?" I could sense irritation seep into my tone. I had thought that the evil entity in the shrine had probably attached itself there. But to think that a Seiryuu seishi would be the one to do it…

"I needed to exact revenge."  
"On Khutou and her emperor."  
"And her people.", he completed.

"Wouldn't the best way to achieve that be my death?"  
"Then I'll end up a normal human being rather than a seishi. Hardly what I have in mind."

I frowned. "You want me to use my wishes for your sake."  
"Milady is quite quick at the uptake." He stated; his tone as flat as he could contrive it to be.

"What is it that you wish for?" I asked, knowing I sounded so meek and defeated.  
"To be a God."  
"Just like Tenkou."

His laughter filled the tent for a while.  
"Oh, milady…I give you very little credit. You are extremely sharp. One of the reasons why I knew I couldn't lie my way around you. One of the reasons why I am forced to even turn my back on that dastardly entity that had the audacity to throw me away for the emperor."

I looked up at this, my brow knit in confusion. His smirk waxed a little.  
"You wanted to know why the emperor chose to have you assassinated. Well, now you do. He has forsaken Seiryuu. Khutou has finally descended into the true darkness of destitution from which redemption shall truly be a pipedream."

"Then the people…. What of the others? Of Amiboshi? Suboshi? Soi? What of their dreams for a better future?"  
"With me as their god, shall they find anything wanting?" His smirk stayed in place.  
"What do you intend to do with them once your designs are achieved?" I ventured cautiously.  
A sigh escaped his mouth as he threw his head back a little.

"There are very few who deserve to live, milady. I shall try my utmost to be kind and merciful."  
"They shall all die… shalln't they?" I laughed mirthlessly. How could one person be so heartless and cruel?

"Well, we now have Tenkou and the emperor as our enemy. I cannot assure you how many shall die. But we will have summoned Seiryuu long before that."  
"What with only five seishi, Nakago? I don't see Tomo and Miboshi around."

He scoffed as he shook his head. "Nothing escapes your glance, I see. Well, let me just say that they are in a place where they shall be the safest. And moreover, when the time is right, they will join in for the ceremony."

"And when do you propose that should be?"  
"The sooner the better." He stood up from where he sat.

"Nakago…" he turned midway,  
"Nakago… you can't possibly mean all that you say… You can't."

For the first time, I saw a glimmer of anger on his face.  
"I most certainly do, milady. Good day to you." With that, he turned away and soon, his swishing cloak vanished from my sight.

* * *

Author's Note: Ah… another chapter off my head and the next one is already almost ready! :) Please let me know what you think! Praises and Brickbats shall both be received with pleasure!

Yours in fellowship,  
Anarya of Lorien


	21. Truth can sting like Savlon on a wound!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** *ahem* I don't own Fushigi Yuugi; they belong to Yuu Watase. And as for any copyright infringement, all I have is a week old moldy load of bread and a dead mosquito. So, sue away! :D

**Author's Note:** Thank you to **Kaytee, Minaseiko1** and **Hermonine** for their encouraging reviews! And a heartfelt thanks to every single person who's considered this story worth a read! I'll be extremely happy if you did review! *winkwink nudgenudge*

On with the story!

* * *

**Note to self No.21:  
Truth can sting like Savlon on a wound!**

"Aren't you hungry, lady Aredhel?" a voice sounded out of what seemed like eternal silence. I frowned at the broth in front of me.  
"Not quite, Amiboshi."  
There was silence once more. It had been a good two hours since we'd come to the plains of the Hin. Two hours in which I had understood more of my seishi than I felt comfortable with.

"Do you know where Tomo and Miboshi are?"  
"I have no idea, milady. I'm sorry." I looked up to find Amiboshi scratching his neck, truly embarrassed. A smile slowly grew on my lips. And then I thought of Nakago's wish; to do away with everything that people like him believed in. The smile died right away to give way to a frown and quite the unbearable pain in my chest.

"Is Aredhel-sama feeling well? You seem to be in pain!" He rushed to my side and put his palm on my forehead.  
"Strange… you don't seem to have a temperature, Aredhel-sama."  
I closed my eyes and felt tears fall down my face. It must have worried my seishi for he exclaimed,  
"Aredhel-sama! What is the matter? Should I call for Nakago-sama? Why do you cry?"  
I merely shook my head at the mention of the shogun and caught his hand in mine, preventing him from bolting out of the tent to bring the last person who I would let myself be seen at that moment.  
"It's nothing, Amiboshi." I smiled, wiping my tears away.

"Why don't you sit here?" I patted the space beside me on the cot. Amiboshi looked at me, bemused and anxious.  
"I'm fine! It's just that all this travelling and running away is getting to me."  
He nodded before seating himself beside me. Though he was a little shorter than me when we stood, he was a good five inches taller when we sat.  
"Is there anything I can do to make milady feel better?" I felt his hand on my shoulder.  
"You play the flute, don't you?"  
He smiled at this and drew the said instrument from his sash. It was an old instrument but well care for. And from the way he held it, it seemed to have a story behind it.  
"You care for it well."  
"It was the last gift from my father before he died. Our village was attacked by Khutou soldiers." He sighed.  
"I'm sorry, Amiboshi." I closed my hands around his clenched fist and gave a heartfelt squeeze.

"And yet now, you serve their shogun." I observed quietly.  
"Nakago-sama is a Seiryuu seishi himself. And I'm sure he's gone through worse. I've heard of his tribe and their fate." He smiled at me and looked around the tent. "It happened right here, right?"  
"Or so, I heard."

"Amiboshi…" I turned to his face to find him smiling at me with what seemed like adoration. It unsettled me a little.  
"Yes milady?" His hands now held mine and just refused to let go. I was hoping he wasn't feeling what I though he felt! But I smiled nonetheless,  
"Can you play something for me?"

He merely smiled and placed his flute to his mouth. And soon, everything was right with the world. It was amazing how he could calm people down with just his music…and yet, take lives with the same thing. I rested my head on his shoulder, letting the music do its magic.

After a nocturne, he stopped.  
"I believe milady needs to rest."  
"Hmmm."  
"Milady?" I opened my eyes and smiled at the seishi who was smiling at me, his face a little flushed.  
"I guess I should." I straightened up; watching him gather the remains of my dinner and with a final bow and smile, leave my tent.

* * *

I couldn't sleep.

Whoever said that sleeping amid the open plains was heavenly, seriously had no idea! The wind kept howling and the tent flaps, though secured shut, sounded like someone was beating on the world's largest drum. After trying for an hour I got up, throwing my cloak around me. A walk suddenly seemed like a wonderful idea. Hadn't Nakago mentioned that we were in the last place that Tenkou would turn his attention to? From the way he spoke, we would be heading over to Sairou soon enough. If things progressed the way they did, the borders would close pretty fast and then, getting out would be a dangerous thing to attempt.

When did a simple science student turn into a war tactician? Why did I have to go through these seemingly impossible troubles just to get home? I sighed as I opened my tent flap to step outside.

Throwing on the cloak suddenly seemed like a good idea. The wind that swept up my face was cold! But I just could not return back to sleep. The sky above was a rich indigo. The stars shone with such brightness here in the plains that one wondered if all the stars of the world had gathered here tonight. And the grass billowed in the wind; it was such a peaceful feeling.

My thoughts on the other hand were anything but peaceful. Just yesterday, I was a well regarded priestess who was looked upon as the beacon of hope, and barely twenty four hours later, the fates had the emperor order my death. Though I doubted if anyone would be daft enough to bite the very hand that replenished one's kingdom, I didn't think the emperor of Khutou was exactly looking out for the kingdom. When did things get so out of hand? And was there any chance that I could reach out to the people before it was too late? I was aware that I was walking but I hardly minded where my feet took me until I heard a low growl from my left. That stopped me dead on my tracks.

I turned towards the direction of the sound to find a really huge circus cage. And inside it was one of my seishi – Ashitare. He had been the one who was growling and from what I observed, he was growling at me. I smiled uneasily as I took a step towards his cage. Wasn't he a seishi too? But then, why was he confined like a beast?

"You're shit scared, aren't you maiden?" I heard him speak. His voice was gruff and there was an inherent growl thrown in for good measure.  
"Why, should I be?" I answered back, hoping that the cage was locked tight.  
"Keh… why wouldn't you be? Here I am, the beast to be reviled." He spat.  
"When you say it that way, I guess I should be… but I'm not." I smiled.

It was now evident that this man meant no harm for me. And he seemed to sense no fear from me; his eyes shot up to mine – blood shot eyes that held barely sheathed malice.  
"We've met only once." I ventured, trying to strike a conversation when the silence lengthened. He merely snorted.  
"And that's my problem, because?" he retorted dryly.

"Well… Nakago never let you into the palace, did he?"  
"And you never ventured out, did you? Some priestess you make…" he chuckled.

"Excuse me?" I felt my indignation rise. The last thing I wanted was to be chided by a werewolf!  
"I believe I'm trying very hard here. And it's not my fault that the emperor wanted to kill me!" I hissed.

All that he did was laugh. And when he could control is mirth better, he turned to me and smirked, "You think this is some sort of game? That you'll just come here and summon Seiryuu and everything will be fixed? If only that were true! If only Seiryuu was that benign to begin with!"  
"You're his seishi! The least you could do is be appreciative of-"  
"-Of what? Of being looked upon like some sort of freak show?" He finished; his smirk now a sneer. I did not have an answer.

He grunted. "Being a seishi has brought nothing but pain to me. Sometimes I wonder if this country would be better off annihilated! There is not a single man or woman who would look at the likes of me with kindness let alone understanding! And I don't intend you to be any different."  
I lowered my eyes to his feet. They were chained to pickets that were driven deep into the earth.  
"I'm sorry." I mumbled, wondering if he could hear it. But he did.  
"Whatever for? For being completely clueless about how screwed up our lives have been? For letting yourself be manipulated by people whom you trusted? If it's the latter, we're both sorry, aren't we?"  
"Ashitare…"  
"I fear Nakago-sama's whip. And I know I'm no more than a tool here. I'm also aware how I seem to everybody else here. Until tonight, you didn't even bother with me. And if I died, how many would grieve? Heh…it's a farce… If I weren't a seishi, I'd be dead by now. And for that at least, I am thankful to Seiryuu." He snarled, revealing sharp fangs.  
"You should leave maiden. Find a way back to your world. This is no place for people like you. You'll never truly understand what the people go through. You hardly know your own seishi!"  
With that, he turned around and prepared to sleep – right on that cold floor.

In a way, he was right. What did I know of losing family members? And what did I know of nobody understanding me? Had I ever spoken to my seishi other than the ones who lived in the palace? I'd spoken of delivering the people but had I ever ventured outside the palace towards the very people whom I vowed to protect? Was I any different from the hypocritical emperor who was supposed to protect his people and yet did nothing? And wasn't it ironical that I should realize this, thanks to a werewolf? One who was supposed to know no better!

I felt my throat tighten a little and I gulped. The wind around me picked up pace. It would soon be very cold.  
Numb hands undid the clasp of my cloak as I felt my vision blur from tears. And that day, I truly cried – for Ashitare, for Soi, for Amiboshi and Suboshi… heck! I even cried for the emperor of Khutou – for his foolishness and then, I cried for the people…for the first time, it was truly heartfelt. Before, I had sympathized with their suffering and felt a righteous need to set things right. But then, I deigned to do what I was supposed to. But now, so many miles away from the people who looked to me for protection and deliverance, I truly felt their pain…in the form of the sleeping beast in front of me. A man whose heart felt more than what mine did. It was ironic that the world would still call him the beast and me the human.

With a sigh, I put my hand through the grates that were wide enough to let my arm in till the shoulder. With a few adjustments and shoves, I finally got my cloak around the sleeping man – he, who was born to protect me. And he, who did his duty even though I hardly noticed him till tonight. Ashitare – my seishi who shared a special bond with me.

* * *

The morning saw me with puffy eyes and a very sore throat. I had forgotten to shut the tent flaps when I'd gotten back inside and now, half the things inside were strewn on the ground. It was cold. Almost like winter was setting in and I wondered if I'd chosen the most horrible time to be on the run. Then again, I didn't choose any of this, did I?

The scene outside the tent was lively to say the least. Amiboshi and Suboshi were tending to the horses and having the time of their lives while Soi sat there outside one of the other tents and look out towards the horizon with a sort of melancholy. Nakago walked out of the tent from behind her, his shoulders squared in front of him and an unreadable look on his face. He had removed his armour and from the looks of things, he'd woken up just then.

"Good morning, milady!" I heard Amiboshi call out and I turned to see him smile the most dazzling smile I'd ever seen from him. Suboshi chuckled and shook his head only to have Amiboshi nudge him in the ribs.

"They seem to be in quite the happy mood." I heard him from behind me.  
"Don't they deserve happiness, Nakago?" I asked him.  
"What's wrong with your voice?" he came closer and placed a hand on my shoulder.  
"I'm just having a sore throat. Don't worry…" I pushed his hand from my shoulder and turned to gaze at him, "I'll make sure not to die before the summoning."  
I didn't wait around to hear his retort. I walked back to my tent and sat down in a huff in one of the chairs beside the bed. I knew him better than to expect him to follow me right away into the tent. And so, I was moderately surprised to find Nakago standing there at the entrance with a frown on his face.

"Why don't you have your cloak around you? Winter is approaching fast and the last thing we need is for you to fall sick, milady."  
I merely stared out through the window cut into the tent wall.  
"I'd given it to someone who needed it more than I did."  
"Ah… that explains Soi's report." I frowned at him. He merely smiled as he walked to sit beside me on another chair.  
"Soi went to feed Ashitare and found your cloak around him. She thought you'd been kidnapped and rushed to your tent to find you sleeping. It caused her to panic quite a bit." His voice was gentle,  
"You mustn't wander off in the middle of the night like that, milady."

I scoffed a little, "Yeah… getting killed would put many plans in danger, wouldn't it?" I turned to glare at him. He merely sighed and stared right back with the most passive of expressions.  
"So, what does the shogun suggest we do now?"  
"I'm suggesting we move to the west. We'll reach Sairou's borders in a day if we leave here by midday and then, we can probably summon Seiryuu there. The shrine is out of question since Seiryuu no longer dwells there."  
"Something you made sure of, huh Nakago?" I couldn't help but quip.

"Yes. Something I made sure of." He deadpanned.  
Argh… this man! I threw myself at him, grasping fistful of his tunic and shook him, or tried to!  
"Why are you so hell bent on irritating me, you jerk! Do you think I'm some sort of toy to be played with? You seriously are the worst! The worst!"

He sighed as he removed my hands from his shirt and held them in his, probably to prevent any further attempts of ruining his lapels.  
"Milady… You must remember that the two of us are on the same side. I've saved your life from the emperor and now, it's merely your turn to pay back the debt you owe me."  
"Debt? Seriously Nakago… aren't you just as badly in trouble as I am? I don't think you have another choice in the matter, do you? Your only way out is Seiryuu and that's the reason you saved me. That's the only way you can get away from Tenkou! Right? Huh? Save my life! If you had another way, you'd leave me there to die, wouldn't you?"

"Nakago sama!"  
He tensed on hearing his name and stood up, throwing my hands away and walked out to investigate who had called him. I followed him out to notice that it had been Soi.  
"Tomo needs to speak to you." She said; her face was scrunched in worry. Whatever the painted freak had to say was not good. That much I figured out.

"What is it, Soi?"  
She turned to Nakago and then looked at me, her worried frown deepening,  
"The borders to Sairou and Hokkan have been closed. It's well nigh impossible to leave via those routes. The emperor has moved a considerable number of guards to all the check posts in the west and the north. We're stuck here."  
I heard Nakago curse… the first time I'd ever heard him use profanity. That alone was indication that things were getting riskier and more dangerous.  
I looked into his hands to find Tomo frowning back at me from a clam shell. And then it occurred to me… he was still out there somewhere, and he was probably acting the part of the spy. But then again, had he not been the one to tell me pointedly that my dreams of summoning Seiryuu were futile?

"It would be wise to go into hiding for now, Nakago-sama." I heard his clipped answer from God knew where.  
"Hmmm… aren't there any other ways out of Khutou?" I heard Nakago ask, a sudden urgency in his voice. For the first time ever, he appeared tensed.  
"Miboshi says there is one way… it is perilous…" Tomo hesitated.  
"Cut to the chase, Tomo! We don't have all day." Nakago snapped.  
"Well… the mountain of Taikyouku stands between the four lands. It's a barren mountain. But from what I heard, Tenkou-sama's powers have no effect there for some reason!"  
"But taking that path is like courting death!" Soi exclaimed; her hand flew to rest on Nakago's shoulder.  
"Then I guess all we can do is go into hiding. Tomo, stay hidden." It seemed like the conversation was drawing to an end. I had to say something! They were my seishi no matter how wretched they were on the outside.  
"Tomo!" I called out and Nakago turned towards me, his hand still holding the open shin. I saw the man sans the face paint and he was almost unrecognizable. He was dressed like a peasant and something told me he was still hiding in the capital somewhere, fishing out details for his Nakago-sama. And now, his eyes rested on me, expecting me to say something.  
"Please take care of yourself… and Miboshi too." I murmured, hoping he wouldn't hear it. But the way his eyebrows shot up told me otherwise.  
"I'll make sure I keep that in mind, Aredhel-sama." He chuckled and with a word of goodbye, cut the connection.

Nakago turned around to glare at Soi and me. But we knew he was thinking of some sort of contingency plan.  
"Tenkou-sama's influence seems to grow upon the emperor. And I guess I must be quite the easy book to read."  
"What do we do now, Nakago-sama?" Soi asked, she seemed more worried that Nakago appeared flustered than about the actual situation.

"We hide for now."  
"Where, Nakago? In Khutou?" I couldn't stop myself. I was aware that I sounded sarcastic.  
"Somewhere! I'm not getting you killed. Isn't that enough, milady?" his voice rose, causing me to back away a little. If I had not been the priestess I wonder if he would have been that lenient.  
"What of Taikyouku?" I heard Soi suggest and my eyes flew open, remembering that name from the letter yesterday.  
"That's suicide. The place is barren and if we even cross the mountain passes, then what? Where do we go? It's too risky. And there have been none who've crossed those mountains from Khutou." He shook his head. Soi sighed, turning to me,

"I'm sorry that we are in such dire straits, Aredhel-sama. And to think that as your seishi we would know how to-" I smiled, stopping her midsentence.  
"Soi, it's none of our fault that we're here right now." I shot Nakago a subtle glace but continued,  
"We'll think of a way… some way or the other."  
Nakago was now pacing the room. I had never seen him this worked up and it made sense. He was without the powerful ally he had relied on before. And had he not blatantly defied Seiryuu by summoning Tenkou in the shrine? He was beginning to doubt help from his own God. He truly was alone. And I wondered if we all were.

And then, he stopped. Turning to Soi, he said, "Call the others. We leave as soon as possible. I doubt if they know our location yet. But it will not take long. Hurry up and pack light. Take only that which you need."

Soi nodded and marched out of the tent, completely aware that time was at a premium. When we were alone in the tent,

"Is milady worried about death?"  
"Are you worried about it, Nakago?"

He scoffed, "I've been through ordeals that make death seem a preferable alternative."  
"Then what worries you now, Nakago? That you might not get your wish?"  
He was silent for a while, his cerulean eyes on me, studying me. And I let him. For once, I had nothing to hide and wanted him to see all the anger I felt towards the injustice they faced, all the sadness I felt on their behalf, all the pain I could finally begin to understand…

"I will get it, milady. You will grant it to me." His eyes hardened. I merely sighed as I turned away,  
"Then you have nothing to worry about, Nakago."

With that, I left him in his tent.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Ah… finally! Another chapter is done! And now, the tales move towards swifter tidings! For those wondering what ever happened to the Suzaku seven, please be patient! And our darling monk did make a cameo in the previous chapter. Am I not the most devious thing ever? *evil laughter* makes one wonder what they're up to, does it not? All I can say is… patience! Patience, my love! :P

Anarya of Lorien.


	22. Floating flowers and forgotten cities

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** *ahem* I don't own Fushigi Yuugi; they belong to Yuu Watase. And as for any copyright infringement, all I have is a week old moldy load of bread and a dead mosquito. So, sue away! :D

**Author's Note:** Ah, another chapter updated! I had been in a lacuna for a while but right now, the story progresses like it has a life of its own. But worry not; I shall be there to guide it well and away from dangerous traps. I'm counting on my dearest readers to let me know how they like it so far. Constructive criticisms are always welcome!

There will be a lot of reference to Nakago's novel Seiran Den in this chapter. In a way, it cannot be avoided. If you've not read the book, worry not! But I urge you to read it...it's at times the best FY novel out there!

* * *

**Note to self No.22:  
Wildflowers floating in lakes can go through forgotten times!**

We saddled the horses and filled up the waterskins. When the emperor is personally one's enemy in an ancient kingdom, lives are lived with death anticipated every second. It was no different in our camp. I'd given up wondering why these things tended to happen to me. It always ended with a really bad headache. Soon, we'd be running away…and at times, I felt guilty; had my seishi performed their duties to the emperor without a murmur, they would still be in the palace, comfortable and well cared for.  
It was ironic that the man who controlled two third of Khutou's army was now on the run. It made me wonder if he had a plan after all! It was unlikely that his men would just rampantly join the hunt for their beloved shogun – but then, was he beloved? Or did they obey him from fear alone? He was a Hin… maybe there were skeletons that still rattled in the closet. Even for the powerful shogun of Khutou. He who had come from one of the most peace loving race – he who was nowhere to be found at the moment.

"Have you seen Nakago, Soi?" I asked the lady as she tightened the saddle straps. She merely shook her head, bemused.  
"Ah, never mind. So, have any ideas where we're off to next?"  
"I believe we'll be moving towards the borders. It shalln't be safe being in one place for too long. At least till the search for your eminence has cooled a little." She finished her packing and turned my way, a smile on her face.

"Ah…quite troublesome a business, isn't it? All of this running and hiding?" I said, trying my best to smile back. She shook her head and looked away towards the horizon – rolling hills met clear blue skies far away.

"We've been through worse, Aredhel-sama."

Somehow I doubted if she'd still say that when things got more messed up. And something told me, this was just the beginning.

"I hear this is where Nakago was born."  
"Hmmm… but only the three of us know that. And I believe so does Tomo."  
"Is that a subtle warning for me to not let things out?" I smiled.

She didn't reply immediately,  
"He might seem all for war and the ilk. But I know Nakago-sama wants nothing more than peace for Khutou."  
"I find that hard to believe. The people have seen his kind-"  
"There are good people and there are bad people… everywhere. If he hadn't thought so, he wouldn't have given up on Tenkou."  
"You believe him completely, don't you?"  
I could discern hints of a blush on her face.  
"I'm sorry that Aredhel-sama cannot believe him as much." She smiled and moved towards the twins who were dismantling the tents. I sighed, wondering if she knew what Nakago wanted. Maybe I should tell her…but then again, would she believe me?

"Lady Aredhel, do you need this thing? Or should we throw it away?" Suboshi was holding the straw hat that the mysterious Suzaku Seishi had left behind.  
"Ah, I was searching for that thing! Thanks Suboshi." I smiled at him and ruffled his hair the way I'd seen Soi and Amiboshi do it before. He scowled half-heartedly as he tried setting his hair right.  
"Aniki and Aredhel-sama are both quite irritating at times!"  
"Oh really now!" I stuck my tongue out. He was about to retort but bit back his reply and shot me another scowl that did a poor job hiding the grin that was threatening to burst forth. Just then, Soi called for him. Shooting me a wink, he ran towards the older seishi. I smiled at the hat in my hand and wore it, hoping perhaps that some sort of help would come with it. All I got was respite from the sun. Just then, a flash of yellow and gold swept past my vision.

My head snapped back so fast, I wouldn't be surprised if that induced a sprain. But there, near a clump of trees stood what looked like a really huge dragon. For a moment I thought Seiryuu had made a late appearance but then I remembered; Seiryuu was blue.

I knew this was the place where Tenkou was worshipped. I knew wandering away alone would be a really stupid thing to do. But then again, it wasn't that far away. And surely, my seishi were competent enough to sense danger when it was this close. By the time I'd completed these trains of thought, I'd reached the place where the dragon had been. But all that remained there were trees. The dragon had disappeared. Beyond the trees, there was a pond…no, it wasn't a pond. It was too big to be called that. And by its banks stood the one I'd been searching for earlier.

Nakago stood there, his head bent in contemplation, and near his feet, there was a bouquet of wild flowers. They looked fresh and seemed from the bushes around. Blue bellflowers and white daisies in a neat bunch swayed with the gentle waves of the lake. It was almost like he was remembering some person whom he had known…when he had been a child. Suddenly, I felt like I was intruding.

"How long do you intend to hide, milady?"

I started. He turned towards my direction and from the looks of it, he had been aware of my presence for quite some time. And yet, he let me be… I wondered why.

"This is a pretty place."  
"It's called the Lake of Blue."  
"I see…" I took another step closer to him.  
"It was a sacred place for my people." He cleared his throat. It had been the first time since he had opened up about his past by volition. Before, I always drew the conversation thither. But now,

"Tenkou-sama would appear on the first new moon of autumn. He would present his people with an oracle."

I took a step backwards. He smirked.  
"But he's not here… is he? And those flowers…" I looked at the bouquet that now floated towards the center of the lake. "Those flowers aren't for Tenkou, are they?"  
He looked at me with a weird smile.  
"No. They're for the numerous people who've died here…" it seemed as though he had more to say but then, his eyes snapped back at me and,  
"We should get going, milady."  
"Where to, Nakago?"  
"Where we can remain hidden."

"And for how long? How long should we run away from him?"  
"The emperor?"  
"Among other people. But I meant Tenkou. You worship the goddamned guy! You seem to still hold him in respect. And that alone indicates how powerful the bastard is!"

His eyes flared for a moment when I referred to Tenkou with unkind terms. And then the mask came back on.

"Why did you save me, Nakago?"  
"I told you milady-"  
"No… I need the true reason. If it was as you told me, Tenkou would never have abandoned you for the emperor! You were his loyal devotee! Heck, the last person who still worshipped him! And yet…" I frowned.  
"If all you wanted was to be a god, I'm sure all you had to do was serve Tenkou. Even if you wanted to overpower him, knowing you, you'd wait till you had summoned Seiryuu to throw him down."

He merely stared. I felt like shaking him. But all I did was place a hand on his shoulder. His armour was cold even from beneath the cloak.

"You actually wanted a way out of all this… didn't you?" my eyes stared right back into his… those cerulean depths that seemed to hide a world away from mine. Walls were rising fast and soon, he'd merely push my hand away and leave. But then,

"There is no way out, milady." His voice was so low that I almost missed it. But it spoke so loudly of all his dejections… all his pain… every single misfortune that had been his lot that I couldn't help my tears. His face morphed into a bemused frown at this. But before he could speak, I threw my hands around him and hugged him.

His hands were limp by his sides but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Actually, I didn't bother worrying if this man thought of me only as a tool – if his ultimate goal in life was to rule the world. All I needed to show him was that I understood. Even if I didn't know the entire story, I understood…he was alone. So awfully alone. His loneliness, his sadness that had called forth Tenkou.

"Milady…"  
"No. Don't speak. I want to hear none of it! Not one word! It doesn't matter, dodo!" I laughed, pulling away from the hug. He still stood there as one frozen to stone.

"I don't care if you hate the whole of Khutou. I don't give a damn if you want to rule the whole freaking universe. But I sure as hell will not leave you alone. Yeah, I'm probably going to lose my head tomorrow. Heck, my midterms are probably perpetually stuck in the distant future! But I'm not letting you do this alone, Nakago. And I'm not just talking about myself. Open your eyes! Look around. You have us all… people who trust you. People who've gone through shit just like you."

His face was stilled with surprise. And somehow, in this place, it seemed as though he couldn't maintain the same semblance of nonchalance that he donned everywhere else. It must have something to do with his past. I wondered what sort of a person he would have been, had he not lost his loved ones…had he found someone to love…had he been a normal person.

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Clearing his throat again, he tried once more,  
"We should leave."  
"We'll go to Taikyouku."  
His expression turned quizzical,

"None who've gone that way have returned. It's too perilous."  
"But I'm sure whatever awaits us there can't be worse than what awaits us upon capture."  
"You have no idea." His voice grew cold. And I knew this was his reply for more than one of my statements.  
"Well Nakago…it all depends on whether you are willing to trust me or not. I say we have a chance if we go to Taikyouku. You heard Tomo! Tenkou's powers have no effect there."  
"That's because it's a barren wasteland. Tenkou-sama has no use of that place."

I smirked, "For once, let's give that bastard a nightmare for being too complacent."  
I didn't let him talk. I merely dragged him along. And when I turned back, I found an expression unlike any I'd seen on his face before. He was staring at me with wonder… and with a tinge of nostalgia. As though he thought of someone else. I merely smiled and dragged the shogun gently back to the horses, where the others lay in wait.

* * *

"Taikyouku?" Soi asked, incredulously. And then she threw a helpless look at Nakago. He was frowning at my back, I was sure of it. I grinned.  
"Well, I believe it's time we fought back. Tomo and Miboshi are still somewhere out there, hopefully safe!" I sent a silent prayer for their safety.  
"But that's a very dangerous place to travel to, Aredhel-sama."  
"Or so, they've told us."  
Soi sighed,  
"Aredhel-sama…"  
"Trust me, Soi." I smiled. Her eyes darted back to Nakago.

"You heard her eminence! We move to Taikyouku. And from there…I'm sure Aredhel-sama must have a plan." There was his trademark sarcasm. And I was hoping he was right. I needed to think of a safe place soon. And it became evident that I would get to know where at Taikyouku.

The horses were soon ready. This time, we would all be travelling on horseback. The way to Taikyouku was apparently too rugged for carriages. It also meant that we couldn't take Ashitare in his cage either.

"Why not let him free?"  
The others looked at me as though I'd lost my mind. Amiboshi went as far as to feel my forehead for a rise in temperature.  
"He'd probably kill random villagers and before long, we'd be surrounded." Suboshi exclaimed.  
"So what, we leave him here?" I asked, indignantly.  
"But Aredhel-sama…"  
"He's a seishi as well, you know! And sure, he doesn't…er…look pleasing to the eye exactly. But we're going through the woods this time. He doesn't need to stay in a cage. Right?" I turned to Nakago. He merely sighed and shook him head,

"Open the cage, Suboshi."  
"But Nakago-sama!" Soi exclaimed.  
"Aredhel-sama has a point. Losing him will put us back in such a fashion that I'd rather not think of it." he reasoned. I grinned even though deep down inside, I wasn't sure if my plan would work. But like the invisible conductor leading an orchestra, I felt someone putting these ideas in my head. And I had very strong hunch that this was that blue dragon's work. My grin widened a little.

Suboshi moved towards the cage when an idea hit me.  
"Suboshi let me open his cage."  
He stopped mid-action and turned to Nakago. The shogun's face was caught between exasperation and amusement. With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed Suboshi who looked at me with a wary eye. He was worried of my safety. And by his side, Amiboshi stood, his flute clutched tightly in his hands and his face frowning. I smiled at him, assuring that I'd be just fine and walked to the cage.

True enough, Ashitare sat inside on his haunches. The collar around his neck had two chains that held him to the ground. There was no way he could move within the cage let along outside when he was tethered to the ground thus. His red eyes narrowed as I approached him. He had heard all that had transpired and probably was wondering what had happened to have us change course so fast. Nakago walked right beside me and stood there, whip in hand.

"You won't need this, Nakago."  
He raised a quizzical eyebrow. I merely nodded and turned to Ashitare. He was still glaring at the whip. He probably was waiting for the sting of the whip. I took a step closer.  
"Ashitare, we're going to Taikyouku. And you'll not be in this cage anymore. You're going to come along, just like the rest of us."  
His eyes snapped to mine. I smiled,

"I'd like to see if I can get something right once in a while! So, don't bite…okay?" I winked. I'm sure the rest of them thought I'd finally lost the last sane part of my head – talking to the one seishi everybody thought of as more beast and less human. But strangely, I knew he understood what was being said and all that was happening. I opened the gate and with Nakago's help, undid his chains. The way he moved, it made me wonder when he'd been unchained last.

"Now run, Ashitare…Follow our scents. And stay hidden. Alright?" I placed a hand on his arm. It was large enough to fit my entire girth! He smirked and with a final look towards Nakago, disappeared into the trees.

"There, now we can all ride horsebacks!" I smiled.  
"Glad to hear that, milady. Unfortunately, we have but five horses. So, you'll ride with me." Nakago said. And somehow, his voice didn't seem quite like before…it felt lighter. I smiled at him and bowed my head a little, accepting his offer.

As I sat with Nakago atop his black steed, I couldn't help but notice that he was being more contemplative than before. Sure, he wasn't that much of a talker from the start but there always had been a sense of resolution about him. It was almost like the guy had a computer up his head and did calculations all day long – making the next move, calculating probability of success and failure. Manipulating people and situations. But probably for the first time since he'd closed his heart, he appeared truly confused. That was a good start!

* * *

Night fell soon enough. It was time to halt for the day. And I was extremely glad! The moment I jumped off the horse, I felt my legs give up from under me. Thankfully, Nakago caught me just before I slumped to the ground.  
"My guess is that milady has never ridden a horse?" He asked, clearly amused.  
I shook my head, "Never had the need for it, Nakago. You see, where I come from, we have cars and buses."  
"And what are those?" Suboshi cut in only to be glared at by the shogun. I laughed and put my hand around his shoulder so that my weight was borne equally by the two.  
"They're… um… mechanical horses… just that more than one person can ride them…er… I guess they're more like carriage and horse rolled in one." I shrugged, trudging towards where Amiboshi and Soi were setting up a fire.  
It was clear from the amazed expression that my seishi sported that they'd never heard of such a thing before. Well… a few months ago, I would have laughed myself if someone had walked up to me and told me of time-travel!

"Aredhel-sama… here's a cloak for you." Soi held out a crimson robe. I smiled at her and took the proffered clothing. I was still very much in my night things and the one cloak I had, Ashitare carried with him. It had surprised me initially that he didn't give it up even when Soi had asked for it. It brought back a smile to my face. Maybe, I'd managed to stir something in him…and I was damned proud of that!

"We'll camp here – in this clearing. Amiboshi, Soi and I will secure the perimeter. Suboshi, you start the fire and you, milady," he turned to me, "Please stay right where you are. We cannot afford to have incidents right now."

I winked at him, "I'll try to be good, Nakago!" He merely sighed and shaking his head, led his horse to where the others were tethered.

Soon, we retired for the night. For the first time, all of us were gathered for the night in one place. The one thing that I'd desired for so long – Getting to know the Seishi – it was happening right now. The fire in the middle flickered a little. The twins were pulling each other's legs and we laughed; we laughed like we weren't on the run for our lives – even Nakago who chuckled occasionally. For a while, all worries were forgotten.

"It's getting late. Aredhel-sama should sleep now. We start early tomorrow." Nakago leaned against a tree trunk. And I didn't feel like protesting. Travelling on the back of a horse made sure that every muscle in the body was strained. Now I understood why people quote horse-riding when asked about exercise.

"Alrighty…good night folks! And if we have any fights in the night, pass me a sword will ya?"  
"Ah, but can you fight, milady?" Suboshi asked, surprised.  
"No. But I can swing it blindly, can't I? Better than sitting here defenseless!"

There was laughter at that. Even Nakago cracked a smile. Deep down inside, I felt warm and proud. Maybe things could get better...

The next morning saw us back on our horses and ready to head out further south. Soi had mentioned in passing that there was a small village about twenty miles down the forest trail that not everybody knew about. It went by the name of Chouzokugen in the province of Eisei. It was evident that she had memories from that place and strangely, Nakago shared her expression; albeit hiding it quite well enough. This emboldened me a little.

"Do you know this village, Soi?" I asked, looking for signs of discomfort or anxiety from her. But her face seemed peaceful as she replied,  
"I worked in a brothel there…that was where I met Nakago-sama for the first time."  
I felt the man behind me tense just a little bit. And my curiosity got stronger.  
"Interesting! So, what happened then?"  
"He saved me from a prospective rapist when I was twelve."  
There was silence…I had hoped it to have been a happier story. But to this reply, I didn't know what to say! Nakago's hands gently arranged my cloak that had parted to reveal my pajamas.  
"We need to find you better clothing, milady." He observed. That was a quick change of topic!

"Ah… yeah. I guess!" I smiled at the horse's head.  
"Maybe we can try out a few shops at Chouzokugen!"

Soi looked up at Nakago and then sighed; her eyes fell on the road ahead. And I couldn't help but smile. To be in love…

* * *

After a good two hours, we did reach Chouzokugen. It was a sleepy little town with just a few shops and fewer houses. Somehow, the town seemed to have shriveled up and decayed from whatever busy hub it was in Soi's memories. It worried me that Soi would probably remember unpleasant memories from being here but if she did, she hid it well. First, we needed to eat. And there happened to be just one inn that was still functional. And it seemed that the place was exactly where Soi's brothel had been.  
"I wonder if they still…" she left her sentence hanging. And strangely, this made the twins all excited.  
"Ah... only one way to find out! Right, Aniki?" Suboshi quipped.  
"You're a hundred years too early for that!" Soi whacked him up the head, eliciting Amiboshi and I to laugh.

"We'll leave as soon as we finish eating. And we need to change our clothes. We stand out too much in these…" Nakago's baritone voice cut into our mirth. Well, when he said that, he definitely meant himself! It was impossible to hide the fact that he was from Khutou and in the army when he wore his cloak and armour.

"Maybe we can find something that will get rid of that 'look-I'm-Nakago-shoot-me-now' image you have." I smiled not missing the slightly irritated look that passed his face.  
"Ah, before he throws a ki ball and blasts me to Tattoonie, let's get going people!" I dragged Soi by the arm into the inn.

She looked around furtively, perhaps searching for old colleagues or employers but when she saw that the place had a new boss and a new business, she relaxed a little.  
Almost everybody was staring at Nakago when he sat next to Soi. There was something about him that screamed, 'I-have-no-business-being here-other-than-to-be-on-the-run' and right now, that was one thing we wanted to do without. Breakfast was a hurried affair and soon, we left the inn in search of a half-decent seamstress who could blend us in!

As it turned out, the town had one seamstress and she set to work, measuring us all up and giving us choices for fabric. Since I had absolutely no idea how things were to be done, I let Soi do all the choosing and that she did with great gusto! In another three hours, our garments were ready.

That was when I saw my seishi the way they would have looked had they led a normal life – one without strife or war. Soi looked every bit the resplendent beauty that she was in a flowing ankle length skirt. She had made sure to have breeches underneath the skirt so that horse riding wouldn't be a problem and I followed suit. Something about doing what the Romans did! She tied her long hair in a single braid that ran down her back and with a final sweep of her sash, walked towards us, her eyes secretively searching for Nakago's reaction. Well, he didn't seem to find anything different. And this made her face drop a little.

Amiboshi and Suboshi were dressed normally to begin with and so with just a new set of breeches, they seemed all set. It was for Nakago that the most amount of work was needed. There was no way he could continue on in armour and when the seamstress had first seen him, she cowered in fear. As we later learnt from her, the village was under the constant threat of a siege from the emperor. It seemed that the emperor didn't seem to bother to differentiate those who revolted and those who merely got caught in the middle.

But now, Nakago stood in a simple white and crème tunic and brown breeches. We'd consciously tried avoiding any sort of blue in our costume. It had been my idea and they looked at me like I was paranoid. But strangely, I felt this would make us harder to detect. This world strangely took color coding to the extremes at times! And so, when earlier we had our clothes crying our real persona out loud, we stood now, a group of peasants and merchants merely travelling through the country. Nakago just could not look the part of a peasant and so, it was agreed that we'd claim to be merchants. At least that way, some of his regality could be explained away. We bundled our old clothes and my straw hat...just in case.

By the time we'd left the seamstress, it was high noon and my stomach grumbled. Going to eat in the same inn but with a different costume would definitely have raised suspicion and so we decided that one would go and buy the food and the rest of us would eat it by the woods.

We thus, waited for Amiboshi who had the least change in attire to return with meat buns while we sat by the edge of the forest, tending to the horses.  
"You know Nakago… something is not right with these dresses." I said, twirling my skirt around.  
"And what might that be, milady?" he asked, amused.  
"We don't have jewelry to go with these!" I chimed.  
"I didn't know Aredhel-sama was into those things." Soi exclaimed. And she had a point. But I had an agenda of my own right then and there. I merely winked at her and turned to the shogun. A blonde brow shot up.

"Get us something to wear, Nakago."  
Suboshi was on the verge of drinking from the water skin when he coughed vehemently. I shot him a glare before turning to the shogun once more.  
"Come now, Nakago! You must! Your Miko demands you to act the part!" I squared my shoulders and did my best to pout. Suboshi was stifling his laughter as best as he could. The shogun regarded all this with a very suspicious frown before he sighed and got up,

"Very well… shall we?"

I smiled gleefully and pulled a very surprised Soi with me and followed the shogun who was probably wondering if we were on the run or on some fancy trip through the country. When we stopped at the seamstress's place, we saw a small counter right next to it that sold trinkets. I pulled them both towards it and peered through the glass casing at the various pieces there.

"See anything you like, Soi? He'll pay!" I giggled. The shogun merely cleared his throat. Soi's face had grown three shades redder from the time I brought up the topic of jewels to the time we stood peering at the trinkets. The shopkeeper smiled at us and opened the case so we might actually decide based on tactile experience. I picked up a pair of blue pearl earrings. They were encased in a frame of silver and dangled when held aloft.

"Milady, I don't think-"  
"Ah…I'm hopeless at all this. Nakago, which do you think will suit her better?" I held out the earrings I'd chosen earlier and another one in white.  
Nakago's eyes narrowed at the sight of the blue earrings and he walked closer.  
"Who sold these to you?" He turned to the shopkeeper.  
"Ah sir… I see that you understand the worth of these things here. They were from the Hin tribe that lived near this country."  
I started at that. And Soi looked up at Nakago. His eyes were getting narrower and narrower.  
"The soldiers from the capital came here a long time ago and destroyed the entire race. A pity… they were such peace loving people too." Nakago's eyes snapped at the man now. But he continued,  
"The soldiers looted all that they could and almost every married Hin tribesman has one of these Seiran pearls. I've been saving them up to give it to the right people. And you seem to be akin to them in a way…your hair and eyes. But you cannot be of the Hin... they've all died, poor things! I guess you're a foreigner, aren't you sir?" he smiled.

Nakago merely nodded, unable to respond vocally.  
"I'm hoping the ones who owned these pearls originally are together in heaven now." He sighed. That was when I noticed that Nakago was wearing something quite similar to the earrings I held. Actually… his were just the pearls. And then it struck me… it was an heirloom of sorts…his final connection with the people of his childhood.

"You know they say that for a lady truly in love, a pair of pearls appears from the depths of the Lake of Blue…and that's a sign that the love is eternal… But I heard it's just a legend from the Hin. But that makes these pearls all the more dear in price, don't they?" he laughed nervously.

"I'll take those." He deadpanned, surprising both the shopkeeper and us. But soon enough, the gold coins gleamed out of his hands and the earrings were bought.

Our trip back towards Suboshi and the horses were silent. We had just gotten the earrings and I was wondering what he would do with those. And then,

"Here you go…Soi." He held the earrings out to her. She looked at them, eyes wide and face stilled in shock.  
"But Nakago-sama…Aredhel-sama was-"  
I stopped her mid protest, "Ah… I was just about to suggest it! Not really my type of jewelry if you know what I mean. Excellent selection, shogun!" I patted him on the back and grinned at Soi. Without waiting for a reply from either, I ran full speed towards Suboshi.

"I see what you did there, Aredhel-sama!"  
"Ah hush! About time those two did something!"  
"Ah… but they do! Er… I mean they do "do" something!" he winked.  
Ah yes… Soi could increase or decrease a person's ki by…er…exchange of bodily fluids.  
"Oh but this is entirely different. Believe me!" I winked back.

"Ah… I might appreciate a little help here!" we heard a tired voice call out. Amiboshi was back with the meat buns. Suboshi and I grinned at the older twin and trudged over to help him. Behind him, Nakago and Soi came, Soi's new earrings dangled in her ears. So much for avoiding blue! But I smiled nonetheless. And as our eyes met, she returned my smile with twice the intensity.

The shogun? He walked by, his head mulling over what he'd heard from the shopkeeper. I wondered if he even the least surprised that there were people who looked at his kind with good will! My smile widened a little. There was much to learn there… and Nakago just got a small glimpse of it all.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm really really wondering if Nakago is going a little OOC here. But then again, the circumstances are so different and that means the outcome will also differ, right? For the life in me, I don't know what Yui was up to! I feel Nakago is the most complex and yet the most simple character in the whole story! There's got to be that gentle kid in there somewhere! :P

Anyway, that's it for this chapter. Do let me know what you think! Faster updates are promised!

Anarya of Lorien.


	23. Fairy godmothers are mostly old hags!

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I still do not own Fushigi Yuugi, though I am in the process of trying to purchase it. What is that? Nobody wants to trade for garlic bread sticks? *sigh* Oh well… we'll try unleavened bread next time!

**Author's Note:** I'd like to thank to following reviewers;

**Unknown Player:** Thank you for the encouraging words! And I've found new vigor to complete what I've started! ^_^

**YueMichiruNaragidawaMiko: **Thank you! And I have to agree the pace was a little slow in the previous chapters… you know what they say, you'll need to lug your sledge up the hill to ride it downhill!

I also wish to make a heartfelt apology to every single person who'd been following this story only to find it stagnant, and the authoress absent! I've no excuse for being the awful updater I've been. But no more! I intend to update this story with at least one chapter a week. No more dilly-dallying!

* * *

**Note to self No.23:  
Nobody tells you that fairy godmothers are mostly hags!**

"And then, she decides that she'll try irritating the guards to see if the character will appear! I nearly broke my back saving her back there!" I laughed. The twins joined in. I was telling them of how my days before I came to Khutou had passed. The shogun and Soi were too deeply engrossed in whatever thoughts that plagued them now. I sighed. Now, I was travelling with Amiboshi on his horse, giving Nakago all the privacy he needed to think. And he was doing that… a lot!

"Listening to you, it makes me wonder if the Priestess of Suzaku is really as evil as we've been led to believe!" Amiboshi quipped.  
"Ah, she's a really sweet person, Amiboshi! And the people there were kind as well." I gushed, happy to be talking of the good times in the past.

It was a given that the present scenario where I was on the run had kept my thoughts preoccupied most of the time. But even when I feared if I would be alive the next moment or not, he crept into my thoughts… his smile and his eyes…his voice and the way he clasped my hands to him when he spoke… that man who had actually been the first man ever to ask my hand in marriage. I giggled.

"And what's so funny, Aredhel-sama?" Suboshi asked; his brow rose as though he had a hunch.  
"Oh… I was just thinking of someone…and it brought back funny memories." I stifled my giggles just in time to catch the eye of the shogun who turned towards us at that.  
"The same person who issued a decree to have you imprisoned, I'm sure, milady?" his voice was steely and without waiting for an answer, he turned back to face the trail.

I frowned at the yellow head in front of me. But then, he had a point… He surely must have moved on. If what I saw of the emperor of Khutou was any indication of how the royal ones lived their lives, I was sure Hotohori was probably married to at least three women by now. And for some reason, this made my heart sink. But then again… he was the emperor of Khonan. And I was the prophetess of the one kingdom that was hell-bent on destroying all that he held dear. Fate sure had a cruel sense of humor. I let my breath out in an all encompassing sigh.

How were they doing? What were they up to? Had Miaka summoned Suzaku already? Didn't she say she hadn't summoned her god yet? Didn't she need one more seishi? I wondered if Tenkou was giving her as much trouble as he was gracing my life with.  
"The paths here are treacherous. It would be wise to stop here for the night. Any further and we would be setting foot on mount Taikyouku." Nakago's voice roused me from my thoughts.

We were there so soon? Sure enough, a graceful mountain rose ahead of us… it was barren at places but had a few resilient trees growing from its crevices. This made the mountain only more beautiful and other-worldly. What was it about this mountain that made it all important in the scheme of things? A gentle wind was picking up. I felt my head to steady the straw hat I'd donned once more.

"Ashitare is close by. I suggest we camp in the clearing to the right."  
"Yes, Nakago-sama." The rest chorused. He turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing a little, as though expecting me to say something. I merely smiled and turn to watch Suboshi who had dismounted almost immediately.

Something had happened to the shogun. Ever since we'd left the village of Chouzokugen, he had hardly spoken a word. And strangely, the same ailment of muteness seemed to afflict Soi. Both of them were engrossed in thoughts entirely unknown to the rest of us.

"Need help, milady?"  
I started to find Suboshi with his hand extended, waiting for me to dismount. I grinned at my seishi and got off the horse. Strangely, my body didn't ache the way it did yesterday. Maybe I was getting used to this.

The twins quickly set to work, gathering dry wood for fire. Nakago sat there, by the horses, his hands held the reins as his eyes stared at nothing in particular. Soi on the other hand brushed the mane of her mare, her eyes focused on nothing as well.

"I hope your travels were comfortable, priestess." I heard Ashitare's gruff voice enquire. I turned to me left to find the werewolf stand there, my old cloak draped around his body, though it did little to cover his back.  
"Oh yes… How about yours?" I asked, turning towards my seishi. He sat down on the ground and sniffed,  
"I've never felt so alive before!" his eyes held a strange sort of emotion as he spoke. As though for the first time, he was truly happy. I smiled as I realized that this was probably the first time someone had held a proper and civil conversation with the wolf-man.

"Tonight will be a full moon, priestess." There was an uncanny hint of joy in his voice. And I must have portrayed the bemusement I felt, for he smirked, a fang protruding slightly from his mouth,  
"Full moons hold a special place in the lives of wolves."  
"Ah… is that so?" I walked a little closer and braving myself, placed my hands on his forearm. He looked at all that I did, his eyes never once leaving my hands.  
"Thank you, Ashitare."  
He cocked his head to the side…his expression like that of an intrigued dog. My hands patted his forearm gently, brushing over the bushy hair that grew on his hands.  
"Took you long enough, didn't it?" He scoffed. Well, finesse in speech wasn't Ashitare's strong point. That much was clear. But he was actually happy. The glow in his eyes made that evidently clear. I merely smiled as I gave him a final pat on the arm and turned to my other seishi. The fire was blazing and it seemed as though the twins were laughing at something one among them had said. The other two were resolutely silent. I sighed. Now, I wished Tomo was there. He was freaky but at least he could put up a show when it was needed.

"Come and rest a while, Ashitare." I turned back to the werewolf only to have him snort.  
"I am more of a beast than you think priestess. Go on… and let the animals hunt for their share." He smirked and then, turned around, vanishing into the foliage around me. With another happy sigh, I turned to go back towards the fire.

* * *

We ate in silence. Amiboshi, Suboshi and I had officially run out of conversation and now, as we sat there, chewing on the way bread that we'd packed, we couldn't help but glare at the other two. Nakago sat by the horses, his legs folded under him, his shoulder resting on a low branch and his other hand, toying with the way bread as he stared into the fire. Soi sat opposite the shogun, her demeanor all contemplation and her bread lay by her side, unused.

"Whatever happened to those two, I wonder." Suboshi whispered, taking another bite into his bread.  
"Ah… I guess they're just getting used to all this ruckus that's us." He observed again, laughing at his own joke. Amiboshi and I could hardly keep ourselves from rolling our eyes heavenward. The boy was a complete jester at times but there were times when even he could not hide his bad jokes. I sniggered as he took offence at our action and turned to pick another piece of bread, his face scowling at his elder twin and his priestess. We hardly mind, knowing he is not exactly angered. Soon, everybody around settled in for the night. Everyone except Nakago and me.

My attention turned towards to shogun, his eyes still gazing unseeingly at the fire that licks the darkening gloom around us. I knew his thoughts were muddled by what he had heard from the old man… someone had thought of his tribe in a kindly manner. Would his life have been any different had he met that man when his people were alive? Or would he still have borne the cold hatred that had well nigh consumed him…and in a way, still did?

"We've reached Taikyouku as milady had wanted. What are we to do now, pray tell?" his voice brought me out of my reverie. He had given up on the fire and had fixed his stare on me. Though, this time there was hardly anything unfocussed about them. I had no answer that I could give me.

"Well…" I started, after a lengthened silence.  
"Well?" he echoed, his entire face turned my way.  
I cleared my throat.  
"What's on the other side of the mountain?" I asked, fully prepared to receive verbal and non-verbal abuses from my seishi. But all that he did was narrow his eyes,  
"On one side is Sairou and the other side leads to Khonan." He said, finally. The very mention of Khonan made my heart skip a beat. My thoughts turned to those gleaming wooden walkways through which I'd walked a countless times…sometimes alone and sometimes with…

"Milady?" his voice cut through my reverie once more.  
"I am guessing you want us to take the route to Sairou, Nakago?"  
He straighted a little,  
"That would be the wisest decision. Turning to Khonan would do us absolutely no good. We still are in the race to summon Seiryuu before they can summon their god." He said, matter-of-factly. Something about his tone made me cringe a little. Whenever he mentioned Khonan, there was a slight coldness in his voice. I wondered why…  
"Even after all that's happened, you believe they are the ones we should be fighting against, Nakago?" I did little to conceal my incredulity. He merely turned his eyes back to the fire,  
"Among others… we cannot trust on their help. Their emperor will do nothing if it can be helped." His eyes shot towards mine momentarily before returning back to the fire.  
"And how would you know that, Nakago?" my hands trembled a little and I felt anger rise as he mentioned Hotohori – the one person who had treated me well before he'd shown up.  
"Did you forget the state that Soi found you in? And pardon me, milady… but if they cared for you as deeply as they'd claimed, why did they not come to retrieve you back? I am sure their emperor must know the sort of person our emperor is… and yet, he hasn't done a thing to save you."

"You expect him to launch an all out attack just because the Seiryuu no Miko went back to where she rightfully belonged? And whose idea was it to launch an attack on HIS villages? You expected him to just sit there?" I was aware that my voice rose…the twins were beginning to stir. Nakago merely smirked at my outburst, his fingers lax and his eyes rapt.

"If he claims to have that great an affection, he would have come for you." He finished, his voice was laced with the slightest trace of contempt that left me dumb folded. Why did he hate him so? Whatever did he do to earn such hatred? I merely huffed and turned my head away from him.  
"Good night, milady."

I scowled at the backside of the shogun as he turned away from the fire, possibly to keep watch. But was he right? Hotohori could have sent someone behind me to get me back… But he didn't. Was it because he didn't care anymore? Then again, why did I give a damn? My scowl darkened as I lay there, facing the fire… determined that I wouldn't think of him anymore.

* * *

_The fireflies were in flight…their meager light made the entire garden seem like something out of Heaven's boulevard. And he stood there, his hair tied to a low ponytail and his broad shoulders draped in his night clothes. I could reach out and my fingers would graze his back. A smile involuntarily appeared, my eyes taking in this god of a man.  
But then…  
"Your Majesty had called for me?" a bejeweled hand, fair like alabaster rested on his shoulder. He turned around, those eyes that had looked at me with such love before regarded the owner of the hand with the same sort of affection…if not more.  
"Ah…lady Houki… you look divine tonight." His voice sounded breathless as though the very sight of this lady made him dizzy with happiness. And then, he held her hand in his, giving it a gentle tug, causing her to fall into his waiting arms… her face was so beautiful… a perfect oval… and her eyes – those thickly lashed eyes closed dreamily as she raised her face to his; the many hair ornaments that held her aubergine tresses in place glimmered with a light of their own. His eyes searched her face; lips parted slightly…the distance between them waned as he lowered his head into a gentle kiss._

I woke up to find myself back in the clearing; the fire was now dying to slow embers. There was darkness everywhere and Amiboshi was nodding off, clearly too tired to keep watch. It was just a dream… just a silly dream… a nervous laugh escaped my lips as I ran my hand through my hair. My tresses had grown well beyond my mid-back and almost reached my waist.

But then the heathen thought slipped in… but was it an impossible dream? Was it possible that this was the scene that was happening in the palace even as I sat here in the wilderness running for my life? And that woman… she reminded me of his comrade Nuriko. But she had called herself something else. Ah! I bit my lip… didn't they change names once they became empress?

My body racked with a strange dull pain as I pulled my knees inwards and hugged them for warmth. For so long, the adrenaline rush of running away from something had dulled me from the painful possibility that the one man I might have loved was lost forever…wait…I never told him that I love him. Even when he'd professed his feelings so openly…so innocently, I'd never once opened myself to him. And for that dastardly behavior, did I deserve him? Maybe he was better off with someone who let him in just as much as he dared to.

The sky was still the inky black of my dreams. And though we were deep in the forests, there was nary a sound…deathly quiet all around. For a while, I stared into the embers, my thoughts clashing with one another… wondering if life would ever bear semblance to the mundane existence I'd dreaded once… that which I craved for now.

* * *

The morning saw us all packed and ready to leave. Nakago had told us that we'd be skirting the mountain and slip unnoticed into Sairou. And from there, Tomo and Miboshi can be summoned and following that, Seiryuu could be called. I did not miss the look of relief cross the faces of my seishi as they heard that the end of their weary road was near. Somehow, I could not bring myself to be cheery.

But I'd decided that I would not dwell on wishful thinking. I had a duty to perform and if it meant that Tenkou could be dealt with by summoning Seiryuu, that had to be done – and soon.

"Milady, I hope you rested well." Amiboshi chimed as he readied the steed that would carry the two of us. I merely smiled as I nodded. He didn't have to know the nightmare I'd endured both in sleep and in insomnia.  
"The mountain's pretty huge, isn't it?" Suboshi wondered out loud, his hands subconsciously working the saddlebag buckles to stay put.  
"Yeah… I wonder why they claim it to be an evil place." His twin continued.  
"Evil place?" I turned to Nakago who was in conversation with Soi. It was clear that something was brewing there but we had not the slightest idea what,  
"yeah…something about an ancient witch who entices weary travelers and steals their souls." Suboshi replied, his eyes narrowed to cruel slits and his mouth distorted into an ugly caricature of what he thought was the supposed witch's face.  
"And that would explain why I never send you out on scouting missions, Suboshi." The shogun's cool voice interrupted our discussion. Suboshi stared at the shogun, his face still awfully distorted before he straightened himself, his eyes on the ground, and a very bright blush across his face.  
I was tempted to laugh but I thought better of it,  
"Don't listen to that meanie! You're great at scouting missions!" I cooed gently, placing a hand on his slumped shoulders. He raised his eyes to mine and I could see that he wasn't exactly feeling down. He smirked at me and with a swift poke to the nose turned around and walked away laughing.

"I've an imp for a seishi, don't I?" I sighed only to have Amiboshi laugh softly.

The woods looked glorious in the rising sunlight. And the mountain – it was like a fortress; a huge elegant fortress that glared regally at any passerby. It seemed unlikely that anything as evil as a cannibalistic witch could like it there.

"So, ready to set out, Aredhel-sama?" Suboshi exclaimed. He held his hand out to me, expecting me to take it and climb his horse with him.

"You can hardly balance yourself, Suboshi." Nakago stated, causing the young boy to grunt.  
"I'm much better now, Nakago-sama." He smiled at me, his eyes shining with earnestness.  
The shogun merely exhaled deeply and shook his head. Suboshi's smile seemed to drop.

"Are you just going to keep grinning at me or are you going to help me up?" I winked. The smile was back, full force!  
"Milady…" the shogun's voice had a tinge of foreboding. My hands settled themselves amidst the brown mane of the steed as I drawled,  
"Let me ride with him, Nakago. Whatever could go wrong?"  
I had no idea what was in store for me!

The day seemed to wear on. As though half-heartedly, the sun move above our heads. But the road we were taking was one of the prettiest I'd travelled on. There were evergreen firs on either side of the trail and as we moved between them in a double file, they swayed in the gentle wind, almost like they were welcoming us. Nakago and Soi rode in the front while Suboshi rode in the middle, Amiboshi brought up the rear.  
Suboshi talked on and on and the journey progressed with laughter and random songs thrown in, thanks to the silly boy who could cut holes through people.

And then, it happened…

The skies were a clear blue that morning so, there was no business for the sudden mist that enveloped our retinue soon enough.  
The horses neighed in surprise at the sudden loss of clarity and I could hear the one I was seated on become increasingly agitated. Suboshi was having a very hard time trying to calm the beast when with a sudden jerk, the horse shot up on his rear limbs and I felt my hold over the reins dislodge. It was certain that the moment I fell to the ground, the horse's hoof would crush me to death. And it was also certain that Suboshi tried catching me even as I fell, his hands grazing my shoulder, too late…and suddenly, I felt my left arm connect with the ground. A single moment of pain blinded me and then everything turned black.

* * *

"Do you reckon she'd be unconscious for longer?" a tiny voice squeaked.  
"Oh, I hope not! Taiitsukun-sama is already impatient at the amount of time that has been wasted!" another voice replied – the same trait of childishness rampant in both.

Where the heck was I? I gingerly opened my eyes to find myself in the biggest bed I'd ever seen and completely naked! And suffice to say, I screamed.

"Ah she's awake! She's awake!" the two voices chorused and I saw something run away from the bedside from the corner of my eye. Looking around, I found myself in what seemed to be a very huge room with spacious columns and gauzy curtains long enough to cover up full buildings. Pulling the sheets closer to my breast, I found my left arm bandaged and slightly in pain. Was this heaven? Had I died? What were those two things from earlier?

"Ah, you're awake, maiden." An old voice croaked. An involuntary squeal left me as I turned around to stare at what seemed like the oldest face I'd ever seen. The face held wrinkles enough to make a Shar Pei look like a supermodel. But there was something about those eyes…they were diminutive but it was almost like those eyes had seen eons pass by and yet remained sharp as ever. For what seemed like ages, those eyes stared into mine and then slowly, the face cracked open and then I realized that the person was smiling. I hazarded a smile in return.

"You have mended well, I should think. Isn't that so, Nyan-Nyan?" the face turned to its left where a small girl stood with cyan hair and another one was _floating_ behind her! What was this place?

"Ah, indeed, it's true, Taiitsukun-sama!" the little girl quipped. My eyes darted towards the door from which they seemed to have appeared.  
"Er… where exactly am I?" I ventured… wondering if I was dreaming.

"Why, you're on mount Taikyouku, young lady!" the wizened face stated.

Taikyouku…. Wasn't that the name of the mountain we'd been skirting? Wasn't this supposed to be the abode of a really evil witch? Was she the one? Was this like in the Hansel and Gretel stories? Was she lowering my guard before she gobbled me up? And who was the little girl…er…girls by her side? My anxiety must have been evident on my face for the old lady backed away a little and laughed,

"You look as though you're a lamb about to be slaughtered." She guffawed; her voice was cracked yet powerful. Okay… talks of slaughter and blood didn't entirely help my case!  
"Er… really?" I gulped. The little girls beside her nodded their heads in unison.  
"So… who might you be, exactly?"  
The girls gasped at this and I instinctively back away a little. The old lady looked as though nobody had ever asked her such an affronting question before!

"Hmmm… and here I thought that with all the stubbornness that my son had displayed, he would have chosen a better informed priestess!" my eyes narrowed in confusion as she drew herself up to her fullest height… and still seemed very short. Her smile was back once more.

"I, my dear priestess of Seiryuu, am the one known as Taiitsukun. The mother of the four gods."

I was silent. Words suddenly failed me!  
The ruler of this universe… The creator of the four gods… was an old hag?

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yes! Another chapter is done and ready! Like I promised, I am giving this story top priority right now! :) And in a way, it's a pleasure writing it! If there are any who are reading this, I hope you take the time to let me know what you think of it! Until the next chapter,

Ciao!

Anarya of Lorien.


	24. Detours happen when you least expect it

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I stake no claims in the ownership of Fushigi Yuugi, dattebayo! :P

**Author's Notes:** Am I the only person who finds working on Times New Roman in the minuscule size of 12 pts a real pain in the neck? But anything bigger and I'm panicking! I'm known to be a person who uses just one font for most of my stories but I've had it till here with Times New Roman! Calibri, here I come! Wait… you guys see it in Verdana mostly, don't you? ^_^;;

I'm sorry for the late update! I had my JLPTs just last week! Has anyone else taken it up? How did you find the paper? I'm worried if I'll pass at all! (-_-); I'm also a little sick right now! (Curse the weather to Jigoku and back!) And isn't it weird that it's when you are really sick that inspiration just flows but then, you can't even get out of bed to write it down? AAAARGH! Not fair!

Getting down to more important business, I'd like to thank the following reviewers for their encouragement!

**Kurama'slilAngel:** Thank you for the kind words! It made my day! And as for the pronunciation of Aredhel's name, it's pronounced as "Ar-a-thel". Hope that helps! (^_^)

**Nile1283:** Yay! You reviewed! I've finally decided that it's about time I got off my lazy ass to update!

I'd also like to thank the many others who've conferred me the honour of following my work and adding my work to their favorite list!

On with the tale now!

* * *

**Note to self No.24:  
Detours happen when you least expect it.**

I was in the presence of the ruler of the Universe… the mother of the four gods…Taiitsukun – a very old lady. Heck! She was a hag! But as we stood, her _Nyan-Nyans _and I, I couldn't help but notice that she carried herself with the regality that was becoming of the all powerful deity that she was.

I had broken my arm in three places from the fall and it was all thanks to Taiitsukun and her helpful handmaidens that I could now lift my hand. And for that, I thanked her. The little girls tittered and she waved her hand, dispelling my gratitude to the winds as she laughed,

"Young lady, you surely are entirely different from the one who was actually supposed to be in your place. Ah, Seiryuu… that child always had a mind of his own!" It was a little disconcerting to hear her speak of the guardian deity of a country as though he were a preschooler! And then it occurred to me… someone who was actually supposed to be in my place?

"Eh… I am sorry to be so rude, your holiness… but I don't understand. Someone else was supposed to be the…" I left the sentence hanging… too scared to finish it. Taiitsukun's gaze was eerie as I waited for an answer. The silence dragged on and then…

"You don't comment on my looks. That is strange!" she observed, making me physically sport a puzzled look. Was she merely trying to change the topic or was the creator of this world a complete nutcase?  
There was an ephemeral sigh before she shook her head,  
"The Seiryuu no miko was supposed to come… a good five hundred years after Suzaku was summoned. And I had decided on the one who would act as Miko when the time came."  
I felt my heart beat like an erratic drum…five hundred years from now? What of my seishi? Then… why was I here? My legs were shaking now. I trembled as I thought of all that was said, hugging myself for good measure.

"There is a time and place for everything, my dear. You understand that, don't you? You apprehend the meaning of Natural order, don't you?" she closed her eyes as she nodded, as though she saw something I couldn't.  
"Hmmm… but then again, if things had been left as they were, it could have been worse… yes…"  
My frown deepened as I took a step forward. She stopped talking,  
"I'm sorry… but I don't understand what you mean, your holiness."  
She chuckled once more.  
"Let me tell you a story, maiden." She leaned forward, her eyes staring deep into my soul. And then straightening up once more she began,

"There were four brothers. The four were different in temperament and in appearance as could ever be found. But the youngest of the four and his elder brother had a bond that was unlike any the world had seen. The elder was a warmonger while the younger one held peace and love to be the center of all things. But you see… they complemented each other so perfectly. Sometimes strife was needed to make one understand the importance of peace and at other times, peace brought the much sought balm for the pains that strife gave rise to. And yet, the two respected each other… and so did their people… I believe you understand of whom I speak?"

"Seiryuu and Suzaku?" I ventured, knowing in my soul that I am right. She answered me with a smile; a wise and knowing smile. Slowly I began to see the true wisdom hidden underneath that old and wizened face. She continued,

"But while great people know better than to quarrel, it cannot be expected from the ones who follow them, can it? Soon, the people were divided… and the once steadfast bond between the brothers suffered, each bound by duty to protect their own. Even when they knew what happened around them was not the best of things; they stood by those who worshipped them." She heaved another sigh.  
Now, there was a sense of tiredness about her. Could the creator of the four gods actually tire?

"Maiden, it is when the people fight that evil creeps into their lives and hearts. And a similar evil appeared even here…"  
"Tenkou!" I breathed, aware that my eyes widened involuntarily. She merely nodded.  
"He, who was mortal once…he, who wishes to be where I am now… he caused as much pain in the lives of those whom he met and built up the walls that would forever divide them from each other."

I couldn't take it any longer! I asked her the question that I'd reserved for her since the moment I'd heard of her existence, "Couldn't you do something about it? Didn't you see how your people suffered?"

"There are times when even the most powerful ones are rent powerless my dear…and you know it well. If all the troubles from mortal minds are taken care of by the gods, would it truly serve the purpose?"

I had no answer to that…

"But my four children… they formed a pact that would keep this evil at bay. The mortal who had lost his life for aiming to be a god was sealed. But they could do little to seal away the wounds he had inflicted. And that is why, when those wounds reopen again, a maiden is summoned from another world to heal it for a while."

I was aware that the room was silent now. Even the ethereal winds had stopped. She was expecting me to respond somehow. But how did one respond when one knew that their life's purpose held such deep significance?

"And… you say that I am not the chosen one?"

She smiled,  
"I said you were not the one _I_ chose. Feel proud, maiden. Seiryuu chose you himself. And for that reason, I could not assist you in ways you might deign to think you deserve. And you also know why even Seiryuu has been driven to such extreme measures?"

"Tenkou…" my voice sounded meek as I said that despicable name. "But if you and Seiryuu were bound by laws that could only do so much, why did he…?" I looked up at Taiitsukun; she merely gazed down at me, her eyes unmoving, and her face stoic.

I understood… but I couldn't bring myself to say it loud. The silence lengthened. It became evident she wanted me to speak. I drew in a laborious breath and looked up at the wise sage,

"He loved his seishi… even the ones who had turned against him."

Her smile widened as she nodded,  
"Their lives are better because they are his children. The chosen ones. They think their lives have been full of strife. But they hardly realize that he chose them…the least fortunate so that they could be healed…through you, his chosen one."

I felt tears gather as I thought of that deity who had rushed me into this world. He had taken it upon himself to deliver his people. He had decided to challenge whatever horrible fate lay in wait so that he could give his people a better future. Seiryuu the god of war and strife – he truly understood what love was.

"But why help me now?" this question had been burning inside me for quite some time now. And then, I looked around. Taiitsukun smiled as she became aware of whom I searched for. My eyes snapped back towards her,

"Where are my seishi?"  
She merely hummed a deep note, as though in intense contemplation and then,

"You, I choose to guide – this once. Seiryuu and his warriors have always been fated to be in strife all their lives – and to lose it soon enough. My son seems to think that he can change that fate. I am bound by laws just as all of you are, and right now, all I can do is guide you – this once. Hear me well and mayhap you may be delivered; though to sunder oneself from one's fate is something hitherto unheard of!"

I felt ire like never before as I heard her remark of my warriors in such an afflicted light. My hands trembled as I ground out the words,  
"Just because of some arcane law, my seishi suffer? Is this even fair?"  
"Ah… now you know how he must feel." She chuckled, making my insides boil. But then, her demeanor became grave, "Worry not, maiden. I do not intend to have Tenkou unleashed upon my people… and even though I should do nothing to help one who had served him, I shall help you now."

I knew she spoke of Nakago. But what did he know? I wanted to let her know… but something told me she already knew. The gods always know. And yet, they never act. It was the same in every world.

"I must believe that you are aware that even the Suzaku seishi are on their way to collecting their final seishi – who, incidentally was held back in Sairou by one of your own?" her eyes narrowed.

Nakago had been to Sairou just before we had escaped from the palace. So, that was his mission! A tired sigh left me… I wondered when he would actually begin to accept the fact that Khutou needed to be saved from within. My eyes snapped open… he didn't intend to save Khutou, did he?

"It must have been quite surprising to have his own…_god…_turn against him, mustn't it?" she could hardly keep a lid on her mirth.

"I beg your pardon, your holiness. But to blame my seishi solely for the kind of actions they were forced to commit is unfair."

I expected her to shout… get angry… curse me into a frog! But all she did was laugh.

"My dear child! Your support for your seishi is truly commendable. But you cannot deceive yourself into believing that they did not have the chance to make the better choices!"

"I'm sorry but you seem to think that we mortals are blessed with the same sort of judicious cognizance that you gods pride in. Any living creature would be tempted to do the wrong when things around him prompt him. And if it is of the evil choices that her holiness condemns my seishi of choosing, what, pray tell would she refer to their emperor as?" I literally growled.

"Yes… by law, Khutou is beyond salvation."  
"You mean Khutou's ruler, your holiness?"

A white brow shot up.

"Is there a difference?"

She couldn't be serious!  
"To condemn an entire nation for the sake of one person is beyond unfair. It borders of bigotry!" I had finally lost my cool. To hell with whomever she was! How could she just say that just because the emperor was an asshole, she would just abandon an entire country? And didn't the emperor's narrow mindedness cause Nakago's actions? Wasn't he then, the one solely responsible?

"I was under the impression that you were to help me, your holiness. And for that thought, I am grateful. But if this help is to be gained only if I belittle every pain that my seishi have had to endure into mere irrelevant and trite aberrations, I am extremely sorry, but I must refuse." I turned around, resolved to leave her presence… even if I didn't know how!

"Hmmmm… are you sure you know the way?" her voice echoed. A vein throbbed in my temple! Had I expected her to actually feel sorry after listening to my lecture – a wee mortal lecturing the ruler of the four gods! Hah… as if! My feet continued to pound down the marble halls. Why was the stupid door so far away?

"Can you not hear me, young lady?" she chortled, she could barely hide her laughter. That did it! Turning around, I found her just as close to me as she had been before I'd decided to trudge towards those elusive doors. My eyes narrowed,

"You're screwing with Physics, you know that?" I muttered for which she retorted with another guffaw.

"I must accept you have more than the sufficient galls to question me on how I run my affairs!" her guffaw mellowed to a chuckle.

"If it makes you feel any better, young one, I was merely testing you."  
"Testing me? For what?"  
"To know if you indeed are fit enough to summon Seiryuu." She explained; her eyes were delving into my soul once more. I was speechless… Utterly speechless!

"But then, didn't Seiryuu select me himself? You don't think he can do a decent job selecting his own goddamned priestess?"

"My, my! You're quite the sight to behold when you're angry, you know that?" she grinned, irritating me further if it was possible. But before I could explode any further, she ventured another explanation.

"I cannot help you if you are going to take offence at what I consider to be entirely rational an action. I must know if the ones who are in need of my help truly deserve it." And something told me, I shouldn't argue with that logic! A smile played on the corners of my lips,

"So… what does the great Taiitsukun think of me now?"

She chuckled, "You're good enough a lass as can be expected! Though, I would have personally preferred a better looking girl."

There was silence as we regarded each other, the deity and the mortal. And then, we laughed… finally in unison!

* * *

Taiitsukun and I walked the corridors of her palace – if one could call it that! And I can only stare at everything around me in awe. The place was beautiful. Waters of various hues sprouted forth and ran down the cliffs. Those little handmaidens of Taiitsukun giggled and ran around, doing whatever it was that the creator had ordained. And in the midst of it all, I walked… like little Alice, lost in wonderland.

"How is it that my seishi and I could not see your palace or any of this just yesterday?"  
"Yesterday? If they are still searching for you, it would be a week today."

I'd been away for a week! Panic automatically constricted my throat as I turned to Taiitsukun. Her cryptic smile was in place once more.

"You had broken your arm and to mend it in a week is quite commendable, wouldn't you say so?"  
"I'm grateful, your holiness. But I must hurry back to my seishi. We intend to summon Seiryuu very soon. And I can only hope that Khutou can be saved in time!"

She merely stared in front of her; her lips were pursed as though she had something she needed to tell me that might not sit well with either of us.

"Seiryuu had appeared in your dreams before, hadn't he?"  
I nodded, unsure where this question led.  
"And after your removal from the palace, has he come to your dreams once more?"  
No… I shook my head. She sighed,  
"I can understand that you see the emperor as a mere individual. But you must realize that less the ruler does, more that happens. The emperor is like the North Star. Everything revolves around him. And so, his actions affect everybody he rules. Seiryuu is part of that everything. And when the North Star goes astray, everything goes astray… and divine help cannot be sought."  
My toes nudged the pebbles by my feet…  
"Then… is it my people's fate to suffer because of his foolishness? Is there no way out of this?"  
"Hmmm… what has been done has been done. One gets nothing achieved thinking of the useless past that cannot be changed…or those that cannot be brought back." She turned to regard me as she said it and I knew it was a warning for me never to lose my way.

"As for there being a way out, I can tell you that merely summoning Seiryuu cannot help you."  
I felt my heart race as she said it. And in a way, I was waiting for her next sentence… mysteriously; I had always known that the summoning would not happen any time soon.

"Seiryuu is far removed from you and your seishi because of what their actions have entailed them and for the follies that their emperor has and still continues to commit. The balance was forever lost the moment there were two priestesses at the same time. And there is but one way it can be restored."

I waited with bated breath…

"The two priestesses summon their gods as one."  
Eh?

"Go to Khonan. There was wisdom in having you appear there instead of Khutou. A sort of foreshadowing of the cooperation that must be enforced, if need be."  
There was silence. She must have expected me to accept her advice, word for word. But she hardly could see how my heart clenched at the very mention of that place. I could not trust myself to speak. Finally,  
"Kho…nan?" the two syllables rolled off my tongue like bittersweet honey. One part of me jumped with happiness and unbridled irreverent joy at the mention of that place. That part that wanted to see him once more. That part that had been slumbering since I'd been to Khutou…that part which could kill me with grief if my nightmares were true… the woman in me.  
But there is yet another part that warns me of the perils of going back… that part which was sane and logical …the priestess in me.

"I don't think Khonan would be willing to take us in, your holiness…" my eyes trailed to the ground. She did not reply. Did she agree to that as well?

"Do you know the peculiarity for Suzaku, young one?"  
I shook my head. Her smile was back, unconsciously assuring me that I needn't fear.

"There are not seven but eight with the mark of the phoenix on their bodies."  
My eyes widened at this. Eight? As in Eight warriors? The creator laughed at my incredulous stare.

"The eighth one is born with the sign of a phoenix somewhere on his body. The mortals believe he forebodes the coming of the priestess… and for that reason, he is regarded as a bad omen." Another chuckle escaped the wizened lips of Taiitsukun.

"You mortals are indeed funny creatures." Her eyes shone with all those unsaid words.

"What does that have to do with me?" I asked confused more than anything.  
"Ah… a few things are best left unsaid. Go to Seirin village in the province of Jusoh to the southwest of Eiyou. It is a small hamlet of a meager fifty houses. There, you'll find this man bearing the mark."

"What am I to do when I meet him?" I asked, unsure what a man of Suzaku had to do with summoning Seiryuu!  
"Take him with you to the capital. The emperor will listen to what you have to say then. Otherwise, you don't stand a chance."  
"Emperor… Saihitei?" I was aware that my voice was trembling. Silly girl, I thought! Taiitsukun turned to me, her eyes calculative and it seemed she understood all that I concealed,

"Yes… it would seem that you have been acquainted before. But remember, maiden…" she paused, watching me closely perhaps to see some sort of sign whose meaning she could decipher. I merely stared back, though deep within my heart, I dreaded what I would listen next.

"You are here with a purpose laid down before you. To think of anything else is folly… I know you will understand." Her voice was stern, like a matron scolding her ward. I could do little but nod. She nodded, as though pleased with herself and then ploughed on,

"Go to the emperor and present the man with Suzaku's mark to him. All that will happen after that, you shall understand and know what to do when the time comes." She stopped, turning back perhaps to gaze at the path we'd crossed this while,

"I believe it is time you headed back."  
"Your holiness… my seishi… they might not appreciate this travel to-"  
"-And if you cannot make them, what priestess would you make?" she glared, effectively silencing me. Between the jabs of Nakago and the glares of Taiitsukun, I would gladly bear the shogun's jabs all day long!

As though affirming my thoughts to the fullest, Taiitsukun's tiny assistants popped out of nowhere and dragged me, chattering away about what they were going to do to me before sending me off. They were extremely cute little things… but when five of them talked at the same time with a nyan thrown at the end of every sentence, I wondered if Taiitsukun was as she was because of this!

As I stood there, being dressed and tended to by her attendants, I began to wonder… travelling to Khonan… it made me sick with anxiety! And yet, I couldn't help but smile.

Travelling to Khonan…

* * *

**Author's Note:** Phew! Another chapter over and done with! Do let me know what you guys think! Reviews keep us authors going, you see! :D

Yours in fellowship,

Anarya of Lorien.


	25. Dragons travel at Mach 5

**Treading in the Mist…**

**Disclaimer:** I stake no claims in the ownership of Fushigi Yuugi, dattebayo! :P

**Author's Notes:** I'm back once more! Did you miss me? No? Awwwww…

Getting down to more important business, I'd like to thank the following reviewers for their encouragement!

**VampireSiren:** Thank you! I'm glad I could give you an enjoyable read!

**Patriot16:** Thank you for the correction! I'll make sure to remember that! :) It's really nice that you pointed it out to me. I hope you find the chapters to come just as enjoyable!

**Anonymous:** Thank you for the kind words! Here's your update!

**August:** Thank you for the review! I've always thought the Seiryuu seishi were being treated too unfairly! As for Tomo, he has to be weird or else he wouldn't be Tomo! :P

**LadyxAbsinthe:** Thank you! Enjoy the next update as well!

**Nile1283:** Ah! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter that much! I hope this chapter doesn't let you down either!

I'd also like to thank the many others who've conferred me the honor of following my work and adding my work to their favorite list!

On with the tale now!

* * *

**Note to self No.25:  
Dragons travel at Mach 5!**

The room from where I would be transported to where my seishi were was all too similar to the room where I'd met Seiryuu in my dreams. But this time, it was just Taiitsukun and I.

"Remember all that I have told you, priestess." Her voice echoed in the empty halls.  
"Yes ma'am!" I quipped, grinning at the deity in front of me. She merely chuckled once more as she lifted her hand that held a pure white orb that glowed brightly.

"May your journey meet its good end, priestess."

The orb's radiance grew in size until I couldn't see anything in front of me. And then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded and I found myself in between knotted trees. The sky above me was a deep indigo. It was early night. I was in the woods… alone. Now, I really wondered if Taiitsukun was playing another one of her classic pranks on me. And then,

"Nakago-sama,… please control yourself! Losing your temper is not for the best."

It was Soi and from the looks of it, the shogun was probably doing target practice on the other seishi.

"Aredhel-sama is alone out there in the woods! Probably dead! All because some idiot couldn't control a stupid horse!" I heard Nakago growl. It was a rare sound. And from that, I could make out just how worked up he was!

"But Nakago-sama! It wasn't Suboshi's fault that-"  
"-Silence!" his voice rose once and everybody's died away.  
I had to get there before the shogun turned psychotic!

"Nakago? Soi? Amiboshi? Suboshi? Aishitare?"  
There was silence for a while and then,  
"Who goes there?" it was Amiboshi.  
"It's me. Aredhel!"  
"How do we know it is you?" Soi asked, her voice calm and even toned.

Whoa… it was one thing to be cautious. But this…  
"Guys! It is me. Remember how I fell from the horse and broke my hand? Guess what! Taiitsukun fixed it for me. She's not-"

There was the distinct sound of a sword being draw and before I could utter another word, I felt the shogun's sword on my throat.  
"Give me one good reason why I should trust you." His voice was so cold!

"Nakago?"  
Our eyes met in the growing darkness and for a long while, we stared at each other and then… he hugged me. It was the last thing I had expected him to do. His hands tightened their grip around me as I felt his breath leave him in what I assumed was a relieved sigh.

"You're safe." His voice was just as calm. But somehow, it had a tinge of warmth in it. I smiled, hugging my seishi back.  
"Yes, Nakago. I'm sorry if I've made you worry." I drew away from him, smiling. He just stared back. Yet, there was tenderness in those eyes. It was unlike anything I'd seen before.

* * *

The fire flickered in the middle as we sat around it, my seishi surrounding me, with a million question on where I was and what happened.  
"We were so worried, Aredhel-sama." Soi's hands smoothed my hair as her eyes sparkled with tears threatening to break free.

My hands found their way over hers,  
"I'm back, Soi. And I'm safe and sound. So, don't worry! I'm not going away again unless you guys kick me out!" I laughed.  
"Oh, Aredhel-sama!" she hugged me as her tears finally landed on my shoulder.

My seishi… my wonderful lovable seishi! I smiled gleefully as she let go of me to wipe those stray rivulets away.  
"So, what happened after I was lost?"  
Amiboshi answered, "It was horrible, milady! We were searching high and low and all of a sudden, we had these…visions… disturbing visions!"  
"Visions?"  
"Yes… I believe it must be the mountain witch's doing." Suboshi spat out, throwing another dry twig into the fire.  
"Mountain witch? You mean Taiitsukun?"  
"She's known for playing pranks on unsuspecting travelers, milady." Soi joined in. I didn't know what to say for a while. I turned to Nakago. Something about his demeanor made it abundantly clear that he didn't believe it was Taiitsukun's doing.

"It wasn't Taiitsukun, Suboshi." I said, not taking my eyes off Nakago.  
"How can you say that, Aredhel-sama?"  
"Because, she was the one who tended to my wounds and guided me back to you. And I'm sure Nakago knows who's really behind the visions."

They all turned to regard the shogun with bewilderment.  
"Don't you, Nakago?"  
He didn't reply.

"Anyway, what do we do from now? Where do we go?" I asked Nakago. And this time, pat came the reply.  
"Sairou, of course."

I smiled as I shook my head.  
As though preplanned, something glowed from inside Nakago's cloak. His brows furrowed as he searched for the source of the glow and took out a clam shell – Tomo's shell. For a moment, he stalled, looking down at the thing in his hand perhaps calculating if he should open it there. And then, without a word, he got up and walked away from us.  
Something told me that whatever was the news from Tomo wouldn't be good.  
"I wonder what news Tomo-san has for Nakago-sama." Amiboshi was wondering out loud.  
"Whatever it is, I hope it's good." Soi replied, though one could not mistake the slight tone of unsettlement in her voice. Silence fell around us once more as we waited for Nakago to return. I knew each of us wanted that moment never to come and yet, knew we couldn't dally around not knowing what was in store for us. Then, Nakago walked back into the clearing.

My intuition was impeccable that day!

His fists were clenched and he had a murderous look about him as he walked into the light of the bonfire. Soi was the first one to speak – the bravest of us all.

"Nakago-sama…"  
"The emperor has sent an army into the forests and cities in search of us. Tomo has been forced into hiding." His voice was level but it did little to hide the anger he felt inside. His statement was met with silence. I turned to the twins and the courtesan to find them staring at the shogun like he had just heralded the End of Days! When the silence dragged on,

"What do we do now, Nakago?" I was aware that my voice didn't tremble.

"We fight! We'll not let them take Aredhel-sama!" Soi cried. The shogun said nothing.

"Even with the seven of us…" he began,  
"you cannot be thinking of giving up, Nakago-sama!" Soi interjected. She had never spoken up to the shogun before! There was silence once more. But this time, a sense of gloom hung over the glade. Then, there was a growl.

"Nakago-sama. The enemy is moving in." I turned around to find Aishitare stand there, a really big gash was slowly staining his tunic red.

"Oh dear lord!" I turned towards my wounded seishi. He drew laborious breaths and it was apparent he had run into _the enemy_. "They'll be here by dawn tomorrow." He growled as he let me examine his wounds.

"Nakago…" I turned around to find the shogun look at his bleeding comrade with merely a frown on his face.  
"You knew it was impossible for us to escape… didn't you?" I was aware of my voice breaking as I instinctively tightened my grip on Ashitare's hand. The shogun didn't reply.

"There never was a surefire way out of this; was there, Nakago?"  
"This was the farthest we could ever go against… him. I was hoping we could have held out longer." He finally spoke. And in his voice, I sensed something that I'd never heard before – defeat. His face was still as stoic as it ever was but still… we could all sense something emanating from the shogun that day. The manipulations he had in mind were slowly unraveling and for the first time, the shogun didn't have a plan B.

I turned to Soi who probably saw whatever I saw. Her eyes hardened as she took a step towards him and sunk into a bow.  
"We shall protect Aredhel-sama with our final breaths, Lord Nakago. We await your orders." She turned to the other seishi and I saw them sink into a similar bow. They had to be completely out of their minds!

"I shall take Aredhel-sama towards the border. This might be our final chance to-"  
"-No."

Nakago stopped midsentence and turned my way, his expression was one of incredulity.  
"You will die, milady. Don't you understand? Now is not the time-" he began, but I didn't let him finish…again.

"I know what's happening, Nakago. If we go to the Sairou borders, mark my words! We will all die! This is a trap. Tomo has been compromised. And they'll know exactly what we're up to. And moreover… Tenkou…" my eyes darted towards the shogun momentarily,  
"He knows how you think. You've worshipped the bastard, for crying out loud!"

"There is no other way." His voice was so deathly calm; I shrank away from him physically. But I had to say what I had to say, whatever the result!

"There is, Nakago. Just that you simply don't want to accept it!"

"Aredhel-sama!" I felt Soi's fingers clasp around my forearm. She didn't want a fight. I pulled my hand away from her grasp and took another step towards the shogun. It was about time!

"We should go to Khonan. Now."

"Aredhel-sama…" I heard Soi implore once more. And once again, I chose to ignore her. My eyes narrowed at the shogun in front of me.

"There is no way they will ever let us cross the borders. We might as well walk into the palace and surrender."  
"And how do you know that, Nakago? How do you know that without even giving it a thought?" my voice rose.  
"I know what draws you towards Khonan, milady. And you should know that your loyalties should be towards the people of Khutou."

Oh no, he didn't!

"A bit too altruistic of you, Nakago… thinking of the people of Khutou all of a sudden! What is it? Are you missing _your darling _emperor already?"

"MILADY!"

I'd expected Nakago to be the one who'd shout but surprisingly, it was Soi. Her beautiful face was marred with an angry scowl and it scared me when I realized that it was for me. Tears were swimming in her eyes. And as she shook her head, they ran down her face. I knew I'd overstepped the line. But I had to say something before the stubborn idiot decided to sacrifice him and the others just so some silly notion of his might live!

"Since _her eminence_ is all too aware of everything that goes around her, what, pray tell, is her plan now? The entire land of Khutou lies between us and the borders of Khonan." His voice was so cold and his eyes merely slits that I knew the reason I was still alive was because I was the Seiryuu no Miko.

Oh… that was right. How on earth were we to get there? I sent murderous thoughts towards Taiitsukun as I stood there, Ashitare panting painfully to one side and Soi and Nakago glaring at me on the other with the twins behind me, wondering whatever was going on!

"WHOAAAAAAH!" It was Suboshi who had cried out. Oh great! The army was here probably. I turned around expecting countless men in blue armour only to find myself staring at a really huge golden dragon, regarding us with what could only be called a benignly amused expression.

"What in the name of Seiryuu's blessed nose-hair is THAT? And why the hell is it smiling at us?" Suboshi had officially lost it!

"Are you just going to sit there, swearing or is anyone going to climb onboard?" a tiny voice chirped from atop the beast. And then, I saw her… the same cute little girl that served Taiitsukun burst out of a tiny pink cloud.

"Nyan-nyan!" I cried as I ran towards the dragon, leaving my flabbergasted seishi behind. She hovered in the air before me, holding my hand. A very stern expression was on her face.

"You need to go to Khonan. Now."

I turned to where Nakago stood regarding all that went in front of him with a very dark scowl. When our eyes met, I let him know… I was pleading… genuinely wanting him to know that this was the only way! Seriously hoping he wouldn't just turn around and leave.

"Milady…"  
"This is the only way. We're cornered and you know it. Please Nakago… I'm begging you!"

The moment dragged on slowly and then,

"Get up there, Soi. Amiboshi and Suboshi too. And get Ashitare some help with his wounds."  
"Nakago…"

He didn't answer. I knew what he had in mind. He was going to stay behind. He was going to make sure the rest of us got off alive. All because he was being an obstinate idiot!

"If you're going to die here. I might as well join you!" I got away from the dragon and towards the shogun.  
"Milady-"

"Time is short, priestess!" I heard the nyan-nyan exclaim.  
"I'm not leaving you here alone." Nakago looked down at his hands in mine. I wasn't going to leave him here. Not after all the trouble we'd been through together.

"Please Nakago." Now I was crying. And this seemed to surprise him for some weird reason. Wasn't it natural to cry for the ones we loved? His fingers caressed my cheek gently as his eyes darted over mine. My hands covered his as I said, my voice was barely above a whisper,  
"Please…don't do this alone."

There was no answer. And after what seemed like an eon, a heavy sigh. Something in me brightened as he did that! He would trust me… now of all times! Clutching his hands, I turned to my other seishi. They were all smiling and Soi was openly laughing as she cried. And seeing her, I couldn't help but laugh myself.

Soon enough, we were all on top of the dragon and amidst the clouds. Nakago sat beside me and Soi as we flew. And when our eyes met, I could discern a sense of calm about the shogun.

About time he sported that expression!

* * *

"Aredhel-sama…" I felt Soi's hands on mine as we hovered over what I presumed were dense forests. And through that brief touch, I understood all her fears.

"It's alright, Soi. She is Taiitsukun's hand maiden. And she isn't exactly the evil witch here. As a matter of fact… she happens to be the mother of the four gods."  
From the way her eyes grew large and the tiny gasp she took, it made me wonder who exactly spread these rumors about Taiitsukun. Another trick up Tenkou's sleeves for sure!

"Where are we going?" I heard Suboshi ask the nyan-nyan warily. His hand was on his ryuuseisui.  
"Hasn't your miko told you? You cannot summon Seiryuu just yet." The little girl said, her hands gently stroking the dragon's mane.  
"And why exactly not?" the shogun's voice held a tinge of irritation.  
"Because he won't come… not now." The wind picked up pace just a little.  
"Aredhel-sama!" I heard Amiboshi and Suboshi exclaim from behind me and I mentally cursed Taiitsukun.  
"Tenkou is too strong in Khutou. And furthermore… your emperor has fallen down the dark path."  
"What do we do now?" Soi's hold over my hand tightened.

"You go to Khonan. Simple as that!" The nyan-nyan grinned.  
No sooner had she said it, the dragon began to descend. And soon enough, we were grounded. It seemed like the edge of yet another forest.

"Where the heck are we?"

The divine hand maiden tittered as she shook her head.

"You're outside the village of Seirin in Jusoh. Eiyou is merely three days by carriage from here."

"Wait!wait!wait!WAIT! Eiyou as in the capital of Khonan?" Amiboshi stammered. The little girl tittered once more as she nodded.  
"But… that's… I mean… Nakago-sama! We couldn't have!"  
"Get yourself together, Amiboshi. You sound like an idiot." The shogun deadpanned.

The nyan-nyan giggled once more and I couldn't hide my smile. But then, her eyes hardened as she turned my way,  
"You know what needs to be done, miko. And remember… you have a purpose here. Do not stray from the path."  
I nodded. Understood. No straying from the path. Now all I needed to do was to find this person with the symbol of the phoenix.

"Well… safe journey to all of you!" she called out before jumping on the dragon once more.  
"Thank you so much!" I cried, eliciting another titter from the girl.

The dragon spread its wings once more and in another instant, the girl and the beast vanished. When we were once more alone, I turned to my seishi. They were staring at me raptly, probably wondering what my next plan was. Now, how was I to tell them that my next plan was to go meet the emperor?

"We need to find a place to spend the day, Aredhel-sama." Soi spoke first, her hand still on mine.  
"Yeah. Now that we're here. You must have an idea what we must do next, ne?" Suboshi piqued.  
"I'm sure you must have a plan, Aredhel-sama." Amiboshi smiled. Ashitare merely grunted.

All I did was smile weakly. The shogun hadn't spoken yet. He stood there, with his back to us facing what I presumed to be Seirin village.  
"Nakago…" The other seishi fell silent.

"I'll inform Tomo of our location. And we had better get to the capital fast. It isn't safe here. Khutou has always eyed this village as the starting point when the war begins. Moreover, Ashitare needs to be tended."

With that, he walked towards the houses. Even in the guise of a merchant, Nakago exuded the splendor of a Seiryuu warrior. And I for one decided then, I was not going to let Tenkou mar this man before me anymore!

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Yes! We're right back where we started! For those who've read the novels, the next chapter is worth a treat! :P and for those who haven't, patience my friends! :D  
As always, do let me know what you think!

Yours in fellowship,  
Anarya of Lorien.


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